Cartier Vintage Yellow Gold, Rose Gold and White Gold Band

Given the celebratory occasion with which Cartier’s elegant Trinity wedding band is associated, the rich symbolism and inspiration behind the original 1924 design are especially well suited to this iteration.

The Trinity wedding band comprises three 18-karat gold bands — a stacked silhouette that draws on the intertwined form of the Trinity ring. The bands are differentiated by their trio of colors: white, pink and yellow gold. While a variation of the wedding ring sees a row of sparkling brilliant-cut diamonds set into the white-gold band, the piece is mostly unadorned and carries the tradition of the collection seamlessly, bearing all the hallmarks and renowned craftsmanship that distinguish the venerable French jewelry house from its competitors.

Legend has it that the design for the original Cartier Trinity ring — which also yielded the bracelet, necklace and more — was inspired by a dream that Jean Cocteau had. The French novelist and filmmaker reportedly asked his friend Louis Cartier (1875–1942), the grandson of the house’s founder, to create a ring based on his having experienced vibrant visions of Saturn’s rings in his sleep.

The Trinity ring’s appeal is in its spare modernity, even as it was designed at the height of the Art Deco movement. The simple design is also steeped in symbolism that isn’t limited to Cocteau’s vivid dream. The concept of the trinity has a long history in various cultures. The Celtic “triquetra,” or “trinity knot,” consists of three interconnected leaves and is often used to depict unity or eternity. The trinity knot also features frequently as an element in Irish jewelry.

Ever the romantic, Louis Cartier intended for the original Trinity ring’s three bands to symbolize close bonds and the phases of courtship: The white represents friendship, the pink for love and yellow for fidelity. The metaphor is inseparable from the Trinity wedding band and wholly specific to its purpose. With its alluring minimalism and delicate form, it is one of Cartier’s most enduring designs — a pristine expression of eternal love.

For its extraordinary range of bracelets, watches, rings and other adornments, French luxury house Cartier is undeniably one of the most well known and internationally revered jewelers in the world among clients both existing and aspirational.

Perhaps 1847 was not the ideal time to open a new watchmaking and jewelry business, as the French Revolution was not kind to the aristocracy who could afford such luxuries. Nevertheless, it was the year Louis-François Cartier (1819–1904) — who was born into poverty — founded his eponymous empire, assuming control of the workshop of watchmaker Adolphe Picard, under whom he had previously been employed as an assistant. Of course, in the beginning, it was a relatively modest affair, but by the late 1850s, Cartier had its first royal client, Princess Mathilde Bonaparte, niece of Napoleon Bonaparte, who commissioned the jeweler to design brooches, earrings and other accessories.

Under the leadership of Louis-François’s son, Alfred, who took over in 1874, business boomed. Royalty around the world wore Cartier pieces, including Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, the Maharaja of Patiala and King Edward VII, who had 27 tiaras made by the jewelry house for his coronation in 1902 and issued Cartier a royal warrant in 1904. (Today, the British royal family still dons Cartier pieces; Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, regularly sports a Ballon Bleu de Cartier watch.)

Cartier’s golden years, however, began when Alfred introduced his three sons, Louis, Pierre and Jacques, to the business. The brothers expanded Cartier globally: Louis reigned in Paris, Pierre in New York and Jacques in London, ensuring their brand’s consistency at their branches across the world. The trio also brought in such talents as Charles Jacqueau and Jeanne Toussaint.

One of Cartier’s earliest major successes was the Santos de Cartier watch — one of the world's first modern wristwatches for men. (Previously, a large number of people were using only pocket watches.) Louis designed the timepiece in 1904 for his friend, popular Brazilian aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont, who wanted to be able to check the time more easily while flying.

Cartier’s other famous timepieces include the Tank watch, which was inspired by the linear form of military tanks during World War I, and the so-called mystery clocks. Invented by watchmaker and magician Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin and later crafted exclusively for Cartier in the house’s workshop by watchmaker Maurice Couët, the mystery clocks were so named because the integration of glass dials on which the clocks’ hands would seemingly float as well as structures that are hidden away within the base give the illusion that they operate without machinery.

On the jewelry side of the business, Cartier’s internationally renowned offerings include the Tutti Frutti collection, which featured colorful carved gemstones inspired by Jacques’s trip to India and grew in popularity during the Art Deco years; the panthère motif, which has been incorporated into everything from brooches to rings; and the Love bracelet, a minimal, modernist locking bangle inspired by medieval chastity belts that transformed fine jewelry.

While the Cartier family sold the business following the death of Pierre in 1964, the brand continues to innovate today, renewing old hits and creating new masterpieces.

Find contemporary and vintage Cartier watches, engagement rings, necklaces and other accessories on 1stDibs.