Cartier, the iconic French jewelry brand, has designed a new jewelry collection with the intention of paying homage to Mexican actress María Félix. Félix was the woman who inspired this brand’s famous crocodile motif over 40 years ago.

This story dates back to 1975 when, one day, María Félix walked into Cartier’s Rue de la Paix boutique in Paris with a baby crocodile in an aquarium. The actress asked the shop workers if it was possible to replicate her companion’s face, head, body, legs, and tail in a custom-made necklace that could also be removed from the neck and worn separately as brooches.

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The shop workers accepted the challenge and so they created two necklaces: the first was crafted in 18-karat yellow gold and set with more than 1,000 brilliant-cut fancy intense yellow diamonds, the second on the other hand was sculpted in 18-karat white gold. In both of the necklaces, the crocodile’s eyes were embedded with jewels: one with rubies, the other with emeralds.

Cartier, currently one of the world’s most illustrious luxury brands, made its homage by releasing a four-piece jewelry collection which consists of drop earrings, a bracelet, a ring and a necklace. Probably the most notable piece is the crocodile with a body made of diamonds and emeralds.

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The same sculptor who created the historic necklace set out to work with Cartier again to create this new jewelry set which is remarkably composed of rare emeralds from Colombia. The necklace took around 1,875 hours of hand craftsmanship, while the smaller cuff bracelet needed more than 1,000 hours to create.