Editor’s Note
This article explores the curious paradox of Auckland’s thriving luxury market, where high-end Cartier jewellery is widely worn yet officially unavailable for purchase within the country. It examines the drivers behind this conspicuous consumption and the unique retail landscape that sustains it.
On any weekday, an informal survey of people lunching in one of Auckland’s glitzier restaurants reveals a healthy representation of popular Cartier designs: a Trinity ring here, an enviable stack of Love bangles there, a Juste un Clou pendant around a neck.
The wearers of these luxury signifiers are male and female, young and old, glamorously dressed or stealthily wealthy in jeans and trainers. So far, so normal – only you can’t actually buy Cartier jewellery in New Zealand on the primary market.
Cartier, Tiffany, Van Cleef & Arpels and Graff have all opened up shop in Aotearoa (New Zealand). Here’s why.
A render of Cartier’s planned Auckland store is a testament to this growing market.
