The Cartier exhibition has opened at the NGV and it's already taking over Melbourne feeds

If your Melbourne feed has been taken over by jewellery photography this month, the Cartier exhibition at the NGV is why.

The exhibition opened at NGV International on June 12 and runs until October 4, an Australian exclusive developed by the V&A in London in partnership with the NGV. It brings together nearly 400 pieces spanning jewels, timepieces and precious objects. Close to 300 of them have never been shown in Australia before.

The pieces read like a who's who of twentieth-century cultural history. Highlights include jewels belonging to Elizabeth Taylor, Grace Kelly, Rihanna, Princess Margaret, the Duchess of Windsor and Dame Nellie Melba. Grace Kelly's pieces alone are worth seeing: a multi-strand pearl and coral necklace from 1958, and a gold and pearl poodle brooch made around 1960, a nod to her pet poodle Oliver.

The exhibition has generated exactly the kind of organic social content that major cultural events dream of. Jewellery photography lends itself to Instagram and TikTok in a way that a painting survey doesn't. Objects that catch light, carry famous names and invite close inspection are tailor-made for feeds built around detail and discovery. Queue updates and close-up shots from visitors have been circulating well beyond the usual Melbourne art audience.

Winter Masterpieces has consistently given Melbourne a compelling reason to head out in the colder months. This year, the social amplification is significant, and the exhibition runs long enough that there's no need to rush.

If you work in content, the exhibition is worth visiting for the visual reference material alone. The Cartier archive spans over a century of craft and cultural association: there is material in there that earns attention far beyond the usual art crowd. It runs until early October, which means plenty of time to go, post about it and get back to whatever else June is throwing at you.