Over 300 sparkling jewels, tiaras, necklaces, brooches and more are coming to NGV next year. Coming exclusively to Melbourne from London’s Victoria & Albert Museum, the Cartier exhibition will feature glittering pieces worn by Elizabeth Taylor, Rihanna, Princess Margaret, Dame Nellie Melba and more. It will also showcase plenty of stunning jewels and objects that have never been seen in Australia before. Cartier will be the 2026 Melbourne Winter Masterpieces exhibition, and will be on display at NGV International from June 12 to October 4.
Cartier exhibition at NGV
This exhibition will explore the evolution and legacy of this global jewellery house. It will open with an introduction to the brothers Louis, Pierre and Jacques Cartier, grandsons of founder Louis-François Cartier. These three brothers established branches in Paris, London and New York, expanding the business and creating the first internationally recognised jewellery house.
“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,” said Helen Molesworth, Senior Curator of Jewellery at the Victoria & Albert Museum.
Stunning pieces on display that will put a sparkle in your eye
Once described as ‘the jeweller of kings and the king of jewellers’ by King Edward VII, this Cartier exhibition will have over 20 spectacular tiaras on display at NGV. It will include the Scroll tiara (1902), which was crafted in the signature ‘Garland style’ and worn by Clementine Churchill at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, as well as by Rihanna on the cover of W Magazine in 2016. You’ll also see the Sun tiara (1907), which features a 32-carat yellow diamond in its centre, as well as the Art Deco diamond and platinum Halo tiara (1934), which was owned by Her Highness the Begum Aga Khan III.
The exhibition also includes a necklace gifted to Elizabeth Taylor by her third husband while on holiday in the French Riviera. This necklace features a geometric latticework design of diamonds and seven Burmese rubies.
Other notable pieces include the diamond rose clip brooch, worn by Princess Margaret at her sister’s coronation, as well as a selection of jewels owned by Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor. Necklaces and bodice ornaments worn by Australian opera singer Dame Nellie Melba will also feature in the exhibition.
On top of the resplendent and historic items, there will also be a magnificent selection of colourful rubies, emeralds and sapphires from Cartier’s Tutti Frutti jewels. You’ll also find timepieces, contemporary works with Australian opals, design drawings and more.
Key details
📅June 12 to October 4, 2026
🎫$43 for adults, $39 concession and $19 for children aged 5 to 15
📍Ground level, 180 St Kilda Rd, Melbourne VIC 3006
Learn more about the exhibition here.
Images:
- Elizabeth Taylor at the Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas, June 1958 © Photofest
- Necklace, Cartier London, special order, 1934, Platinum, diamonds, Owned by the Sassoon family, Cartier Collection, Nils Herrmann, Cartier Collection © Cartier
- Tiara, Cartier London, 1937, Aquamarine, diamonds and platinum, Vincent Wulveryck, Cartier Collection © Cartier
- ‘Hindou’ Necklace, Cartier Paris, special order, 1936; altered 1963, Commissioned by Daisy Fellowes, Sapphires, emeralds, rubies, diamonds, platinum and white gold; Cartier Collection, Vincent Wulveryck, Collection Cartier © Cartier
- Princess Margaret wearing the Cartier rose clip brooch, 1955. Photograph by Cecil Beaton, Cartier Collection, Vincent Wulveryck, Cartier Collection © Cartier
- Duke Edward of Windsor (Former King Edward Viii) and Duchess of Windsor (Wallis Simpson, With A Necklace By Cartier) during Ball in Versailles on June 17, 1953 © AGIP / Bridgeman Images