Bejewelled: A Glittering Cartier Blockbuster Is NGV’s Winter Masterpieces Show for 2026

Today, the NGV announced its next Winter Masterpieces exhibition for 2026: the largest collection of Cartier jewellery ever seen in Australia. Following on from NGV’s French Impressionism and Pharaoh winter showcases, the exhibition, titled simply Cartier, is set to be a glittering display of intricate and decadent jewels.

The exhibition has travelled from London’s Victoria & Albert (V&A) Museum, and features objects owned and worn by stars like Elizabeth Taylor, Rihanna and Dame Nellie Melba, along with pieces from royals including Princess Margaret, the Maharaja of Patiala and the Begum Aga Khan III.

“We are excited to be able to share with visitors of the NGV some of Cartier’s most famous creations as well as revealing previously unseen objects that further enrich our understanding of a jewellery house that continues to influence the way we adorn ourselves today,” says Helen Molesworth, senior curator of jewellery at V&A.

Among all the brooches, necklaces, watches and gemstones is an opulent collection of 20 tiaras that are some of Cartier’s most distinctive pieces. The exhibition charts Cartier’s creations and their presence in various cultural moments over the jeweller’s nearly 180-year history. There’s Elizabeth Taylor’s famous necklace, gifted to her in 1951 by her third husband, film producer Mike Todd, that she described as looking “like the sun – lit up and made of red fire”.

The exhibition pays tribute to Australian opera singer Dame Nellie Melba, whose collection of onstage and offstage Cartier jewellery will also be on display. Visitors will be able to see up close the 1938 diamond rose clip brooch Princess Margaret wore to her sister’s coronation, as well as a generous selection of jewels owned by the American socialite and later Duchess of Windsor, Wallis Simpson.

Cartier will also tell the story of the grandsons of company founder Louis-François Cartier – brothers Louis, Pierre and Jacques – who helped globalise the brand.

“Cartier [are] world-renowned for their excellence in jewellery and timepiece design and innovation,” says Tony Ellwood AM, director of the NGV. “This exhibition tells the story of how they transformed their grandfather’s jewellery business into one of the most prestigious international jewellery houses with a clientele including royalty, high society and movie stars.”

Cartier is on display from June 12 to October 4 at NGV International.