An Old Hollywood favorite, the Cartier Trinity ring remains one of the classic jewelry designs of all time as it celebrates its 100th year
In the 1920s, Cartier was famous for its colorful and exotic creations in geometric forms, high-contrast color combinations, and carved precious gemstones. However, amid its roaring Art Deco era, Louis Cartier, the founder’s grandson and the creative force behind the brand, dared to go back to the basics of pure design with no embellishments, a stark contrast to the trend then.
With great courage, Louis created the renowned Cartier three-ring Trinity in 1924. He crafted the first ring with three intertwined bands in platinum, rose gold, and yellow gold, depicting friendship, love, and fidelity. Soon after, a bracelet came with the same code.
Back in time
In the years following its inception, Cartier released the three-band ring in different colors and materials. The Trinity ring and bracelet were met with total success, becoming a symbol of elegance.
From the late 1930s onwards, French poet, playwright, and filmmaker Cocteau habitually wore two of them. Soon, Hollywood icons like Grace Kelly and Gary Cooper began donning the ring to showcase power, status, and regality.
Since then, Cartier has re-envisioned the three-band ring in three golds with distinctive proportions to match current trends, for instance in the 1990s, when the ring was made bigger to meet the trend of chunky jewelry. While they’ve been consistent with the three bands, it wasn’t until 1997 that Cartier’s three-band, three-gold jewelry officially adopted the name “Trinity.”
Entering a new age of design in the 2000s, the Maison reimagined the classic Trinity. There was an introduction to the XL version of the bracelet and a version paved with pink, yellow, and white diamonds. Eventually, the collection was also enhanced by white gold and black ceramic models. Further amplifying creative encounters in 2022, Cartier collaborated with Chitose Abe, founder of sacai, which resulted in the creation of six new limited-edition Trinity pieces.
This year, in celebration of Trinity’s 100th anniversary, the Maison has affirmed once again that its innovative design stands the test of time with two new bold designs, and the reissuance of the XL bracelet accompanied by an XL version of the iconic ring. This continuous reinvention of the Trinity range made it an enduring symbol of relationships, where poetic memories of life are imbued, even after a century.
Cartier is located at Greenbelt 3, Makati City. For more information, please visit their website.
