The Jeanne Toussaint Necklace and Elisabeth Treskow
In honor of Women’s History Month, we wanted to take a look at two women who paved the way for others in our industry: Jeanne Toussaint and Elisabeth Treskow.
Cartier’s creative director, Jeanne Toussaint, revolutionized the house’s design aesthetic starting in the 1930s, reshaping it from abstract Deco designs to more figurative work. She also designed pieces inspired by her love of Indian jewelry, including a stunning panther brooch commissioned by the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.
The original necklace
The jeanne toussaint necklace is the main target of a diamond heist in Ocean’s 8 (the latest installment of the Ocean’s franchise) when Sandra Bullock’s character, Debbie Ocean, and her team try to pull off their biggest heist yet. The film’s all-female cast includes Cate Blanchett, Rihanna, Awkwafina and Anne Hathaway but it’s the $150 million Cartier piece that steals the show.
The original necklace, commissioned in 1931 and worth 500 carats, no longer exists but it is a valuable piece of history that has been preserved within Cartier’s archives. Its archival drawings and photographs are what the brand used to create a replica for the film.
However, since the necklace was originally designed for a man, the costume department had to make it smaller by 15 to 20 percent so that it would fit Anne Hathaway’s petite frame. Craftsmen in Cartier’s high jewellery workshops on Rue de la Paix in Paris crafted the necklace from white gold and zirconium oxide.
In addition, the heist requires the necklace to be worn by multiple characters throughout the film so it had to be able to handle the wear and tear of the actors. The piece had to be strong enough to stand up to the rigours of daily wear and tear, so it was made with a special care for sturdiness and finishing.
To create the piece for the film, Cartier had to mobilize its highest level of artisans from its high jewellery workshop in Paris. Its best jewelers were required to complete the project in just eight weeks on top of their regular assignments, which is a challenging task for them.
According to Women’s Wear Daily, the original necklace was designed for a man and adapted to fit Anne Hathaway’s neck size. This entails making it smaller by about 15 to 20 per cent of the original size, which is why it looks so huge in the film.
This necklace is also a tribute to Jeanne Toussaint, who was Cartier’s creative director in the 1930s and played a key role in establishing the Maison’s stylistic identity. She was the first woman to embody the brand’s bold and fearless spirit, which she drew inspiration from Indian style.
The heist
After a decade of successful franchises that centred around Danny Ocean’s adventures, Gary Ross and Olivia Milch penned a new story where Sandra Bullock’s sister, Debbie Ocean (played by Bullock), gathers an all-female crew to attempt an apparently impossible heist at New York City’s yearly Met Gala. The movie, directed by Ross and starring Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Mindy Kaling, Sarah Paulson, Awkwafina, Rihanna and Helena Bonham Carter, is set around a heist of the most valuable piece of jewellery in the world: the Jeanne Toussaint diamond necklace.
Cartier has revealed the breathtaking story behind the stunning Toussaint necklace that is at the heart of this year’s most talked-about heist, Ocean’s 8. The opulent piece is based on a 1931 diamond necklace designed by Jacques Cartier and titled “Jeanne Toussaint,” after his former creative director who played a vital role in shaping the maison’s identity during the 1930s.
For the film, Cartier recreated the necklace in its high jewellery workshops in Paris using zirconium oxides as a base material instead of diamonds, which meant it was less expensive than the real thing. This was a crucial step to ensure the jewel was both authentic and fit for the heist.
The heist itself saw the opulent Toussaint necklace stolen from under the nose of a large security detail. It was a massive task, and one that only Cartier’s best craftsmen could tackle.
To pull off such a complicated heist, the team needed to work together to create a plan and execute it flawlessly. They did this by stealing the diamonds from Daphne Kluger, a Hollywood actress played by Anne Hathaway who was wearing it on the Met Gala.
In addition to the heist, another major part of the film is Debbie Ocean’s friendship with fashion designer Rose (played by Helena Bonham Carter), who helped to pull off the heist. The pair also made a trip to the Cartier Mansion on Fifth Avenue in New York, where they met with the head of the company’s diamond division.
It was here that the jewel that would become the centerpiece of the heist was crafted in a matter of weeks. The result is not a costume piece or a prop master’s creation, but a masterpiece that is incomparable to anything else seen on the silver screen.
The name
Jeanne Toussaint was a Belgian-born French designer who made an impact on the world of jewelry. She was the creative director of Cartier in the 1930s and had a lasting impact on the brand.
Her restrained yet brightly colored designs were a reflection of her personal style, and her work for the house came to define a new period of Art Deco abstraction. She also incorporated Indian fashions into her designs, which were not well known in Europe at the time.
When the Great Depression struck, Toussaint embraced it by creating more accessible pieces for women that could be used to meet everyday needs. She reimagined popular items like perfume bottles as diamond-faceted vessels, and designed hand brooches and purses that held necessaries.
Then, in the 1940s, she introduced a menagerie of animal-themed jewels. Dragonflies, ladybugs, birds of paradise, tigers, and lions were among her creations.
She crafted these pieces for high-society members and heiresses, including American heiress Barbara Hutton. She also created a flamingo brooch for the Duchess of Windsor that is still highly regarded today by most jewelry lovers.
Throughout her years at Cartier, she continued to explore animal-themed jewelry. Her passion for Indian culture was evident in her design choices, with carved gems evoking the splendor of ancient Maharajas and Mughal Indian jewellery.
By the 1940s, her love of panthers led to a new style of jewelry that was extremely successful for the company. This was when she first created a La Panthere brooch, which became the first of many such pieces.
This collection of sculptural and three-dimensional panther jewels was quickly adopted by the upper echelons of society. It began with a gold and enamel panther brooch crafted for the Duchess of Windsor in 1948.
It became a wildly successful collection that eventually included rings, earrings and pendants. Often set with yellow and white diamonds, emeralds and onyx, the panther is now a symbol of the brand and remains so today.
Her influence on the Cartier brand was enormous and her dedication to making her creations stand out in a world full of fast-paced, commercial styles was unparalleled. Her commitment to her craft fueled her vision for the company and helped her become one of the most respected jewelry designers in history.
The story
One of the most famous necklaces in the world is named after Jeanne Toussaint, who was an important figure in jewelry design during the 20th century. She was a Belgian-born designer who worked with Cartier for many years.
As the creative director of jewelry for Cartier in 1933, Jeanne Toussaint revolutionized the way that Cartier created jewels. She reshaped the brand’s aesthetic from abstract Deco designs into figurative work that was inspired by animals and plants.
In the process, she established herself as a designer who understood the needs of women in an era where they often had to make their own decisions about fashion and what would be appropriate to wear. She was able to create pieces that were not only beautiful, but also functional.
Her signature panther motif became popular and was a hallmark of her jewelry. The animal symbolized fearlessness and confidence that she wanted all women to embody, and her designs were known for combining the best of modern and ancient design elements in her creations.
Though she began her career as a silversmith at Cartier, she was soon promoted to the position of Director of Fine Jewelry in 1933. Louis Cartier was impressed with her “impeccable, universally-appreciated taste.”
She is credited for shaping the company’s brand identity and design aesthetic. She is also credited with the creation of the iconic panther symbol that now adorns Cartier’s high jewelry line.
Despite her success, she suffered a lot during the war. Her reputation as a free spirit got her into trouble and she was imprisoned. However, thanks to Coco Chanel, she was rescued from jail and released.
After her release, Toussaint returned to Cartier and resumed her role as director of the jewelry department. She was able to bring back the aristocratic clientele that Cartier had lost during the depression, but she also focused on more accessible designs. She introduced lacquer lady bugs and hand brooches featuring flowers, according to Cathleen McCarthy of The Jewelry Loupe.
It was a challenge to recreate the original panther necklace for filming since it was designed for men, but it only took eight weeks for Cartier’s best jewelers to do so at their High Jewelry workshop in Paris. They replicated the diamonds with zirconium oxide, a natural material that was set in white gold.
The Jeanne Toussaint Necklace and Elisabeth Treskow