The name Cartier has come to mean high quality items of great beauty. Cartier engagement rings are no exception and are known for their exquisite classic designs. With each of the branches headed by a Cartier brother, the first four decades of the 20th century were a time of originality in design and technique in which a distinctive Cartier aesthetic emerged. Cartier engagement rings are always in demand for that reason

Louis-Francois Cartier started his legacy in Paris, early in the eighteen hundreds. The company became one of the prime designers and suppliers of luxury items to nobility. Until the end of the nineteenth century the firm was primarily a retailer of jewelry and objects made by outside manufacturers. This changed when Alfred Cartier took over the family business in 1874. Eventually, the company was repairing and improving on the jewelry it sold. It graduated to designing and manufacturing original pieces and moved to the heart of the jewelry trade in Paris.

Cartier opened a branch in London in 1902. A royal commission was granted in 1904, followed quickly by commissions from Spain, Portugal, Russia, Siam, and Greece. These royal commissions helped to solidify Cartier's reputation worldwide among the wealthy and famous. A New York branch was opened in 1909 to provide for the tastes of the new breed of American millionaires.

Until the 1960s, the Paris, London, and New York branches were part of a single firm but operated independently, collaborating whenever necessary. In 1962, the New York branch was sold, followed by the Paris branch in 1965.The firm was reunited and reorganized in 1979 as Cartier Monde. Cartier has become famous for its clocks and