Cartier Silverium and 18 Karat Gold Panthere Bangle

An important and rare Cartier bangle of 18 karat yellow gold and “silverium”, the silverium forming the highly sculptural body of the panthers which look at each other and nearly meet at the top of the bangle. Silverium is a proprietary Cartier metal technique, where silver is blackened and combined with other metals to form an alloy. The result is a dark, mysterious, and lustrous metal that resembles hematite.

The panther motif was popularized at Cartier by Jeanne Toussaint who joined the firm at 1913 and rose to become its haute jewelry director by 1933, a notable position for a woman to hold at that time. At one time Louis Cartier's lover, Jeanne Toussaint would eventually become one of the firm's greatest assets, having solidified her artistic prowess with the "Panthere" sapphire and diamond brooch commissioned by the Duchess of Windsor in 1948.

-Signed Cartier

-18 karat yellow gold

-Cartier proprietary silverium alloy

-Circa 1990s