The 177-year history behind Cartier, the iconic jewelry brand that's a favorite of the royals and worth $12 billion

• Cartier is one of the most famous jewelry houses in the world.
• A Cartier watch can cost up to $300,000.
• Here's how the brand began in 19th-century France and made its way worldwide.

Since Cartier was founded in Paris in 1847, it has become one of the best-known and well-regarded jewelry and watch brands in the world.

According to Forbes, the brand was valued at $12.2 billion in 2020, up from $7.8 billion in 2017, under the stewardship of CEO Cyrille Vigneron.