Who knew there was a gold necklace shaped like the articulated bodies of a pair of crocodiles? It was created by Cartier for Mexican film star Maria Felix, meticulously crafted in gold with diamonds, emeralds and rubies. It sometimes was worn and, at other times, placed on a table as a sculpture. It will be among the 250 treasures that make up “Brilliant: Cartier in the 20th Century,” open at the Denver Art Museum (and not scheduled to be shown elsewhere) through March 15, 2015.

Margaret Young Sanchez, who serves as Frederick and Jan Mayer Curator of Pre-Columbian Art at the DAM, is curator for this exhibit. She has a longstanding interest in jewelry and decorative arts, having gained a familiarity with gold work in her pre-Columbian studies.

DAM director Christoph Heinrich comments, in an introduction to the beautiful catalog published to accompany “Brilliant,” that Colorado has a connection to Cartier — Evelyn Walsh McLean was a Cartier customer for decades, beginning with the 1908 choice of the Star of the East Diamond as a wedding gift from her wealthy father, who owned the Camp Bird Mine. On a return trip in 1912, she bought the legendary blue Hope Diamond. She and many others among the world's wealthy were regular customers for the spectacularly designed and crafted jewelry, watches, clocks and smoking accessories.

The show has seven thematically organized sections that cover the years 1900 to 1975. Cartier's Heritage Department assisted Young-Sanchez, as did international jewelry specialists, in organizing the exhibit.

Divisions begin with “Aristocracy and Aspiration,” after Louis Cartier joined the firm in 1898 and younger Cartier sons Pierre and Jacques brought their energy, through 1918. Paris was the center of a cosmopolitan society whose members could afford the elaborate Cartier jewels and decorative objects. “The New Outlook” includes Art Deco design 1918 to 1939.

“Foreign Fascination” covers a similar period but looks to Egypt, India, Islam and East and Southeast Asia for both design inspirations and potential customers.

“The Art of Smoking” section of the book begins with a photo of actress Marlene Dietrich in top hat and tails, smoking — a glamorous custom that required bejeweled cigarette cases, cigarette holders, cigar cutters, lighters and more.

Here, objects for men, “The Masculine View,” entered the scene, with elegant desk sets, pocket and wrist watches, cuff links, pocket knives, fountain pens, a travel bar set and elaborate decorative clocks for desks, including some that are commemorative gifts.

“The Age of Glamour” recognizes newly liberated attitude among some women, with more bright colors in the gems and daring designs worn by movie stars as well as the rich and royal customers.

“Icons of Style” is the final section, covering distinctive personalities such as Marjorie Merriweather Post, Barbara Hutton, the Duchess of Windsor, actress Maria Felix, actress Elizabeth Taylor and Princess Grace of Monaco. It includes lighter scale design, although glamorous in the extreme.

This exhibit is a coordinated look at an era that had as many individual stories as overlapping conflicts. It's an opportunity to enter another world for a few hours.