A map tracing the origins of Cartier’s inspirations would cover the entire world. East Asia, India, the Middle East, Africa and many other parts of the world have appeared in Cartier’s records since the early years of the Maison. Cartier designers have analyzed their architecture, decorative arts or mythology to adapt patterns and color palettes into jewelry designs. East Asia in particular has long inspired the Maison's creations. That intellectual curiosity is no less powerful today, as evidenced in the recent design exploration of ancient Central American culture.

Africa has always been rich in design inspiration: the myths and iconic statues of Ancient Egypt, the masks of the Dogon people in Mali, or the beautiful patterns on wild animals' fur... The immense expanse of the African continent and the power of its natural landscape is echoed in Cartier jewelry today.

Nothing is more mysterious than the animals and plants of the natural world. Cartier has long interpreted nature either realistically or abstractly. Although flowers have been loved by many jewelers, Cartier reinvented the approach to flora – exemplified by its fondness for orchids. Cartier’s colorful jeweled menagerie forms a treasure box of imagination – such as predatory panthers, snakes clinging around the neck, wild graphic tigers… Whatever the design or animal specimen, Cartier expresses the strong character of its creatures, as exemplified by reptiles and big cats.

Cartier’s colorful jeweled menagerie forms a treasure box of imagination – such as predatory panthers, snakes clinging around the neck, wild graphic tigers… Cartier’s jewelry designs sometimes incorporate realistic depictions of these miraculous forms and other times interpret them more abstractly, but the result always conveys the character of the animal in question, be it scaly reptile or sleek big cat.