Renowned jewellery historian, gemmologist, author and Senior Curator of Jewellery at the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London, Helen Molesworth joins us as the V&A lead curator of CARTIER, to mark the opening of the exhibition in Melbourne. The exhibition has been created by V&A, in partnership with NGV and in collaboration with Cartier.
Through a richly illustrated presentation, Molesworth will take us on a journey through the history and symbolism of a selection of precious jewels – along the way sharing highlights of her remarkable career studying gems from around the world – to place the extraordinary jewels of Cartier within the broader history of jewellery.
Experience the elegance and exhilaration of CARTIER at NGV this winter. Featuring nearly 400 extraordinary jewels, gems and jewellery objects, the exhibition traces the evolution of Cartier’s enduring legacy in art, design and craftsmanship.
The exhibition has been created by V&A, London, in partnership with NGV and in collaboration with Cartier. Exclusive to Melbourne, CARTIER features loans from significant international collections, alongside highlights from the Cartier Collection.
The exhibition design is a collaboration between NGV, Studio Sabine Marcelis and CLOUD, two multidisciplinary design practices based in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Helen Molesworth is a jewellery historian and gemmologist, whose 25-year career has spanned the global gem and jewellery industry from auction houses to academic posts. Her passion for gems has led her all over the world, including the ruby mines of Burma, the emerald shafts of Colombia, the sapphire beds of Sri Lanka, and salerooms and collections from Hong Kong to New York. For ten years she was a jewellery specialist for Sotheby’s and Christie’s in Geneva and London, where she managed such sales as the private jewellery collection of HRH The Princess Margaret in 2006. She is the Senior Curator of Jewellery at the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London, where she lead-curated their blockbuster exhibition, Cartier, in 2025. Helen has a degree in Classics from Oxford University, is a Fellow of the Gemmological Association of Great Britain and a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries.
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