Elle Fanning Exudes 1950s Chic In Cartier's Grain De Cafe Collection
The Gen Z actress showcases the second act of Cartier’s Grain de Cafe collection.
Who would have thought a coffee bean would plant the seeds for one of the most playful yet glamorous jewellery designs around? Jeanne Toussaint, Cartier’s wildly inventive creative director from 1933 to 1970, came up with the idea just five years into her role: necklaces, earrings and more anchored by the bean motif sculpted in yellow gold and studded with precious stones.
In the ’50s, it became synonymous with French Riviera chic after Grace Kelly developed a fondness for it. Fast forward to now, and it’s been given a fresh burst of life as the Grain de Cafe collection with the dynamic Elle Fanning for its face.
Grain de Cafe yellow gold and platinum earrings with diamonds, and matching ring (on left middle finger); Love bracelets with diamonds in (from left to right) yellow gold, small yellow gold and small pink gold; Trinity medium yellow, white and rose gold ring with diamonds, and Panthere de Cartier micro sequinned recycled Econyl handbag with palladium-finish hardware (on lap), Cartier
Harking back to its past as a symbol of chic opulence favoured by Grace Kelly, the Grain de Cafe collection features a steadily growing range of statement earrings, rings, necklaces and even evening bags.
Grain de Cafe yellow and white gold earrings with diamonds, and matching ring (on right last finger); Grain de Cafe yellow gold and platinum open necklace with diamonds, and matching ring (on left middle finger); Panthere de Cartier small yellow gold watch (on left arm, top); Love small yellow gold bracelet with diamonds (on left arm, bottom); Love yellow gold bracelet (on right arm); and Trinity medium yellow, white and rose gold ring with diamonds. All Cartier
Each piece features artfully arranged clusters of gold coffee bean-shaped charms accented by diamonds (and, in some cases, other coloured stones, too) designed to rustle gently with movement for an unexpected playful effect and added shine.
Grain de Cafe yellow and white gold earrings with diamonds and matching bracelet (on right arm); Grain de Cafe yellow gold and platinum ring with diamonds (on right middlefinger);Trinity medium yellow, white and rose gold ring (on left middle finger, top); Love pink gold ring (on left middle finger, bottom); Baignoire mini yellow gold watch; and Loveyellow gold bracelet with diamonds, Cartier
The ornate details of the Grain de Cafe collection embody classic craftsmanship at its finest. To create the graphic, 3D sculpture of each coffee bean-shaped charm and ensure it can move without hitting the others next to it, Cartier’s artisans put together each one using two pieces of gold – one arched and one curved.
Grain de Cafe yellow and white gold earrings with diamonds; Grain de Cafe yellow gold and platinum necklace with diamonds and rubellites and matching ring; and Love bracelets with diamonds in small yellow gold and yellow gold (on right wrist, from top), Cartier
Their surfaces are either smooth or gadrooned, while every single element of each piece of jewellery is polished one by one using a steel brush. Now, all one has to do is decide which other pieces to stack on, mix, and match.
This article first appeared in the September 2024 Nostalgia Edition of FEMALE