Venerated as the royalty of jewelers and the jewelers of royalty, Cartier is by far the largest brand of its kind in the world. With its illustrious history and client list including countless kings, queens and princes, it is little wonder that the brand's double C logo and distinctive red packaging excites the recipient even before he or she has laid eyes on the treasure contained within.
Although there was once a time when the thrill of receiving something from Cartier was the preserve of the megarich, by the mid-'90s it had developed a line of mass-market products. In 2001, however, the firm halted production of its lower-end lines in an effort to stay true to its heritage and maintain its super high-end image. That move allowed competitors Tiffany and Bulgari to capture a large part of Cartier's market share and was quickly reversed.
Having clawed back a comfortable lead over its rivals over the past few years, the Cartier of 2005 is in rude health. After a year of renovations, its original Paris store at 13 rue de la Paix, reopened Dec. 13 with a star-studded ceremony attended by a host of top celebrities.