How does Cartier ambassador Anna Sawai find balance?

On the occasion of Cartier’s En Équilibre high jewellery launch in Stockholm, Tatler caught up with Emmy winner Anna Sawai, an ambassador for the maison, to discuss finding the perfect balance in jewellery and in life

It was an unusual evening for the Artipelag museum. Located on an island just 45 minutes by ferry or 20 minutes by car from Stockholm, it houses within its brutalist architecture some of the best contemporary artworks and exhibitions in Scandinavia. But on this rainy, atmospheric evening, it welcomed guests from around the world to celebrate the launch of En Équilibre, Cartier’s latest high jewellery collection. Among them was Anna Sawai, the breakout star from the drama series Shōgun, who won the 2024 Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, making history as the first Japanese actress to receive the honour. That same day, Cartier welcomed her as its latest ambassador.

“I am very proud to become a Cartier ambassador,” Sawai said in the press release following the announcement. “For me, the maison represents a world of creativity that constantly pushes the boundaries, exploring the beauty of savoir-faire and cultivating an original gaze on the world. Wearing these creations feels like stepping into a dream.”

Above Anna Sawai wears a Cartier high jewellery necklace and earrings with rubellites and diamonds. (Photo: Instagram @annasawai)

Anna Sawai wears a Cartier high jewellery necklace and earrings with rubellites and diamonds. (Photo: Instagram @annasawai)

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This time, the dreamy creations had brought her all the way to Artipelag, where she arrived wearing a vivid rubellite necklace. “What I love about this piece is that the rubellites are so powerful in colour,” she says, “and they also symbolise compassion and gentleness, which are the qualities I truly value in humans.”

The necklace is part of Cartier’s latest high jewellery collection, En Équilibre, and represents a vision of perfect balance—a philosophy that appeals to Sawai, especially at this point in her life. “The theme of equilibrium resonates with me because I always try to balance my work life and personal life. When I’m [finished] travelling around the world seeing these exciting things, I like to return home, be with my family and friends, and just relax in my PJs,” she says.

Above Shito necklace and earrings from the Cartier En Équilibre collection

Shito necklace and earrings from the Cartier En Équilibre collection

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The concept of balance and harmony is fundamental at Cartier, a philosophy that guides all the designs since the very beginning. And at the heart of En Équilibre, which translates to “in balance” in English, is the interplay of contrasting elements, balancing symmetry with asymmetry, boldness with delicacy, and restraint with splendour.

The collection’s Shito necklace exemplifies this philosophy best. Its two asymmetrical 49.37-carat Zambian emerald drops, set within diamond-encrusted curves, echo the way that, despite the tiny variations found in elements of nature—between the petals of a flower, for example—they nevertheless complement each other perfectly.

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Rubellites symbolise compassion and gentleness, which are qualities I truly value

- Anna Sawai -

The Tsagaan necklace demonstrates the bold yet intricate aesthetic of which Cartier has long been master. At first glance, the design elements appear minimal: strong, graphic lines weaving through diamonds and onyx. Yet upon closer inspection, a snow leopard emerges at the centre of the necklace, reflecting both the feline’s elusive nature and Cartier’s virtuosity when it comes to craftsmanship and imagination.

Above Tsagaan necklace and earrings from the Cartier En Équilibre collection

Tsagaan necklace and earrings from the Cartier En Équilibre collection

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The Hyala necklace, meanwhile, is the perfect combination of restraint and splendour, its composition of diamonds and coloured sapphires creating a soft mesh of pale orange and pink hues. While perhaps less instantly eye-catching than some of the other pieces in the collection, its brilliance lies in the ultra-minimal setting, the intricate openwork and how it maximises reflection and reveals unexpected luminosity.

The interplay of light, Sawai says, is perhaps the most intriguing aspect of this collection. Yet the beauty, she observes, doesn’t always reside in the light alone. “You can’t truly understand the beauty of light without shadow,” she says—something she became acutely aware of during her visit to the museum. “Observing these masterpieces [and seeing] how great artists use shadows to create brightness reinforced my [love of ] finding that perfect balance in jewellery—and in life.”

Above Hyala necklace and earrings from the Cartier En Équilibre collection

Above Circus necklace from the Cartier En Équilibre collection

Hyala necklace and earrings from the Cartier En Équilibre collection

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Beyond aesthetics, Sawai increasingly values the meaning ascribed to designs as well as how successfully a brand embodies its ethos. Cartier excels at both. “What Cartier symbolises is incredibly powerful to me,” she says. “When I wear their pieces—whether it’s their high jewellery collections that showcase exceptional craftsmanship, or the Juste un Clou collection, which brilliantly transforms a humble nail into something extraordinary—each piece carries such significance.”

Her respect for the maison goes beyond its wearable art, as was highlighted when she attended the opening ceremony of Cartier Women’s Pavilion at the Osaka Expo in May. “Attending the events and meeting remarkable individuals who are making real differences in the world truly inspires me. Being part of the Cartier family holds deep meaning for me.”