By Natalie White

Cartier, the "King of Jewellers | Jeweller of Kings" will be showcasing its most spectacular exhibit ever at the Grand Palais in Paris from 4 December 2013 to 16 February 2014, with up to 600 pieces of exquisite jewellery on display.

Entitled "Cartier: Style and History" the exhibition will highlight the jeweller and watchmaker's role within the wider context of art history and French history, and is created by designers Nicolas Groult and Sylvain Roca, and occupies the 1,200 sqm Salon d’Honneur showspace at the Grand Palais.

Since 1847, when Louis-François Cartier took over a Parisian jewellery workshop, the French brand has continuously created exceptional jewellery, presenting pieces that are appreciated worldwide for their beauty as well as for their social function.

In addition to purely ornamental pieces, visitors will be able to view items once seen as practical necessities in high society, including cigarette cases, lipstick cases doubling as watches, and even the brand’s first wristwatches, introduced in 1888.

The exhibition will emphasize key dates in Cartier’s history through emblematic pieces of jewellery, ranging from the first Cartier pieces in an abstract, modernist style (1906) to the tiara worn by Kate Middleton at her royal wedding.

Visitors can also admire the first Cartier jewellery wristwatch, covered with the now famous “Panthère” motif, a textured pattern of diamonds and onyx.

The French brand’s collections have been worn by some of the world’s most illustrious personalities.

Princess Mathilde Bonaparte, niece to Napoleon I, made her first purchase from Cartier in 1856. American heiress Barbara Hutton and film icons Marlene Dietrich and Elizabeth Taylor were also among Cartier’s most loyal clients.

Around 20 pieces in the exhibit are taken directly from the collection of the royal family of Monaco, allowing visitors an intimate look into Princess Grace of Monaco’s jewellery box.

The exhibit will also spotlight the jewellery owned by Marjorie Merriweather Post, an avid collector of French and Russian art, who was considered to be Cartier New York’s most frequent customer in her day.