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Gold, diamond and emerald Pluto by Cartier belongs to a Toronto collector

Disney and Cartier

Disney and Cartier are a jewelry match made in heaven

There’s nothing Mickey Mouse about Cartier jewelry.

Unless you count the pieces the French jeweler created for Walt Disney, as far back as the ‘30s.

The collaboration that spawned Disney’s whimsical cartoon characters in diamonds, emeralds and rubies is little known – largely because the pieces are so scarce.

A private Toronto-based collector, who prefers not to be named, has managed to get his hands on one 18 kt gold Pluto pendant with diamonds and emeralds from the ‘70s. But he has spent years searching for jeweled Disney characters made by Cartier in the ‘30s and ‘40s. And he has yet to find any for sale.

“I know they exist but they are impossible to find,” the gentleman says with a mix of determination and exasperation. “I have talked to dozens of dealers. They all say the same thing. If they had a piece, they could sell it in a second.”

The problem, if you could call it that, is that the supply of early Cartier Disney was limited – after all, how many people could afford Cartier during the depression? But there were families who demanded high quality gifts for their children and a Cartier Disney character fit the bill splendidly. Most pieces have remained in those families as cherished heirlooms.

The relationship between Cartier and Disney dates to 1934.  Two years earlier, Herman Kamen was hired by Walt Disney as their chief of merchandising. Kamen started licensing Disney characters to well-known companies that made high quality products. In 1933, he licensed Ingersoll to make Mickey Mouse watches - a move which became one of the greatest marketing successes of the 20th century. Cartier then approached Kamen about producing jeweled Disney characters. With Disney's approval, Cartier produced a diamond Mickey Mouse stickpin, diamond Mickey bracelet, and gold enamel character charms. Special themed gold charm bracelets included Pinocchio and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. A jeweled Snow White bracelet was displayed at Cartier’s 100th anniversary in America exhibition in 2009. The Forbes Museum in New York has several pieces including a gold and platinum Dopey money clip that was used by Walt Disney.

In the '30s, Disney also licensed Phillip Reiter of New York to make Disney jewelry in platinum.

Cartier continued to make jeweled Disney pieces through the ‘90s. The house is not currently making any Disney.

Limited supply, Disney’s whimsical appeal, and the prestige of the Cartier name all add up to one thing – enduring value. A gold bracelet with gold enamel charms that would have retailed for $100 in 1937 would be worth $10,000 to $20,000 today.

The Toronto collector puts it this way: “Disney and Cartier are a match made in heaven.”