If you’ve watched the Ocean’s 8, you know that the real charm of the movie lies not only in its star-studded cast — Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Rihanna and Anne Hathaway, to name a few — but also in the Jeanne Toussaint necklace, which forms the soul of the action heist. Without it, Ocean’s 8 wouldn’t be the movie it is.
Throughout the long history of cinema, jewellery has served as an inseparable companion, bringing the glitz and glamour that shape the true appeal of movies.
Nowhere is this more evident than in Wes Anderson’s latest cinematic outing, The Phoenician Scheme — a film that steals our attention with its lavish colour palette, compelling symmetrical editing, and a bejewelled Cartier rosary we simply can’t take our eyes off.
A conspicuous highlight of The Phoenician Scheme, a satire of oligarchy that follows a malevolent entrepreneur, Zsa-Zsa Korda (played by Benicio del Toro), and and a nun who is also the heir to his estate, Liesl (played by Mia Threapleton), the luxury rosary is a bespoke Cartier creation commissioned by Anderson himself.
The idea came to mind after the auteur stumbled upon one of the French maison’s cross pendants from approximately 1880, and thus the rosary was born. The cross was recreated by the deft hands of artisans from Cartier’s high jewellery studio, resulting in a standout piece crafted in white gold and adorned with briolette-, rose- and square-cut diamonds, emerald beads and ruby cabochons.
Thanks to the sheer artistry of Cartier, the rosary becomes an unmissable star in Anderson’s cinematic universe — adding depth to the character of Liesl, who is meant to live in austerity and shy away from material luxury.
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