Clash de Cartier continues to buck tradition with new iterations that are supple and larger, more impactful yet wearable.
Launched in 2019, Clash de Cartier is the result of the maison’s design studios shaking up its aesthetic heritage of studs, beads and clous carrés (pyramid-like spikes) by combining all three in a singular ribbed mesh. Epitomising Cartier’s innovative spirit, the jewellery takes a swipe at tradition and conformity with its audacious, rebellious edge. While the collection is new, it draws on Cartier’s penchant for geometry and volume that dates back to the 1930s.

Called the “two-sided jewel” by the maison, Clash de Cartier is a chic balancing act of contradiction and duality. The clous carrés look sharp, but their buff-top domes make them soft to the touch. Studs are held in place, but are free to move. Every movement entices light to flit and flicker, creating an illusion of a metal that’s soft one moment, then hard the next. Straddling between feminine and masculine, gentle contours are juxtaposed with the rigid-looking architecture.
Behind the clean lines and precise spacing, Clash de Cartier is a highly complex feat of craftsmanship. Developed entirely in-house, an ingenious articulated mechanism interconnects the highly polished studs with precise calibration, holding them in place yet allowing each one to be mobile. And in a final sophisticated touch one expects no less from Cartier, the underside of each piece is delicately scalloped for comfortable wear.
Since debuting a pink gold range of rings, bracelets, necklaces and earrings in different sizes and diamond-set versions, the Clash de Cartier line has been enriched with variants in white gold, as well as limited- edition pieces adorned with striking red coral set in yellow gold, and amazonite enhanced with pink gold.
Now, the bold collection welcomes two new extensions offered in pink gold – the XL and Supple. Featuring a suite of a single earring, necklace, ring and bracelet with oversized beads and studs, the XL models magnify Clash de Cartier’s punk-style vibe. For those who prefer a delicate, less rigid structure, the Supple pieces boast a fully articulated design. Comprising a necklace and bracelet, the ribbed mesh is completely mobile and fluid to follow the contours of the neck sensually or drape softly over the wrist. As with all Clash de Cartier jewellery, the gender-neutral pieces are made to be layered and stacked as the wearer pleases.
(Main and featured image: Scodelario models the Clash de Cartier pink gold necklace and ring in XL models; all images: Cartier)
This story first appeared on Prestige Online Singapore