The storied jewelry house unveiled its latest status symbol during Haute Couture in Paris and joining Cartier’s repertoire of classic motifs is the cactus in a collection entitled ‘Cactus de Cartier.’ The new core collection offers necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and rings in 18-karat yellow gold with diamond and gemstone accents.

The jewels within the Cactus de Cartier collection are bold, with shapes that are at once geometric and sensuous, spiky and soft, and decorated with vivid shades of gemstones set in warm yellow gold that captures the heat of the desert.

Cartier’s take on the cactus involved rows of connected 18-karat gold orbs to represent the ridges of the plant’s structure, with emeralds, diamonds, carnelians, and lapis to represent its blooms. A highlight was a Cactus de Cartier bracelet with an 18-karat gold shank and chrysoprase beads to mimic the green body of the cactus, with small gold bezel-set emeralds emerging from each piece of chrysoprase like closed flowers, interspersed with fully opened blooms of carnelian and diamond.

A show-stopping Cactus de Cartier necklace alternated a milieu of closed emerald flowers with several open flowers made entirely from white diamonds—204 brilliant-cuts to be exact. The 18-karat gold and lapis lazuli versions presented a striking color combination, while the collection’s wearable grouping of gold and white diamond pieces are sure to resonate the most with consumers.

Cartier describes the cactus as “rebellious and resistant, tempting and haunting”, and while it may seem like a prickly choice when placed next to the more traditionally beautiful blooms in the Cartier archives, this precious reimagining of an often undervalued succulent has us completely enchanted.

Discover the collection here.