It was designed not for special occasions but for everyday wear, securing to the wrist with its own precious screwdriver. This was thought to be similar to that of a wedding band, but done in a much more exclusive fashion. Sign up for our newsletter to access exclusive weekly FLASH SALES! He concluded by saying, "love symbols should suggest an everlasting quality of which Cartier's Love collection is infamously known for to this day. He always dreamt of going to America, Renato, a jeweller himself, tells me affectionately, in a telephone interview from New York, where he still lives. At 64, Sharon Stone Is Still Doing Bikini Shots Better Than The Rest, Chanels New High Jewellery Collection Reflects Venice At Its Most Magical, Dua, Gigi & Bella Are Behind The Rise Of Plastic Fantastic Jewellery, Van Cleef & Arpels Reaches For The Stars With Its Heavenly New Collection, Lola Oladunjoyes Nigerian Heritage Influenced Her Jewellery Line Without Her Even Realising, Solar/First Artists/National General/Kobal/Shutterstock. The classic Love bracelets come in yellow, rose, or white 18K gold. It is quite impossible to imagine Cartier today without Aldo Cipullos contribution. This original model sold for $250, a pretty penny for that era. Thanks to its modern, unisex appeal, Love quickly became a popular token of cool around the globe, shared by couples such as Steve McQueen and Ali MacGraw; todays celebrity fans include Lily Collins, Meghan Markle and Angelina Jolie. Inspired by the American hardware stores he loved to visit with his brother, the seemingly minimalist, functional design actually had the deeply romantic intention of holding onto the memories of a lost love. There are pieces in the love collection priced as high as $30,000, but this pendant is at one of the entry price-points. We specialize in consigning luxury brands such as Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Dior, Saint Laurent and more. Originally manufactured in sterling silver with gold plating, the design was soon after elevated by using solid 18K gold. Aldo Cipullo was born into a family of jewellers in Naples in 1935. Today, Cartier's Love collection is still extremely popular and very coveted by men and women alike, with two different sizes available of the classic Love Bracelet. Based in Montreal, we acquire secondhand purses and preloved fashions from across Canada and we make preowned luxury items available across Canada and internationally at discounted prices. However, be sure to click the pencil icon at checkout to ensure you add your own personal remarks to the recipient. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Ali MacGraw, the top-grossing female actor of the early 1970s, wore one gifted by her husband, movie producer Robert Evans. The inability to simply slip the bracelet on, or unhook a clasp changed the way many people looked at jewelry and what it can be used to represent. Love that Bag etc stands by everything we sell. Much like true love, Cartiers Love collection is eternal. Pave diamond versions were made available in 2009. The locking mechanism on the thin version involves a hinge and only a single screw. Raised in Rome, he and his four younger siblings were expected to work every day after school for their harsh authoritarian father. Renato says the charming and creative Aldo became fixated with escaping from under his fathers watchful eye at an early age, and was inspired by the growing influence of American culture in postwar Italy, and the popularity of movie stars like Marlon Brando and James Dean. The bracelet was an immediate success, adopted by celebrities from Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton (who were reportedly one of a number of famous couples to receive a pair of Love bracelets from Cartier), to Sophia Loren and Princess Caroline of Monaco. Since 1847, Cartier has been producing incredibly iconic pieces for royal families, celebrities, and dignitaries alike. The Love Bracelet (styled LVe, with the horizontal line inside the letter "O" alluding to the bracelet's locking mechanism) is a piece of jewelry designed in 1969 by Aldo Cipullo for Cartier SA. The charismatic and good looking Cipullo quickly become part of New Yorks social set and he moved on to design for Tiffany & Co, where he brought a rich sculptural dynamism to Blue Book, Tiffanys high jewellery collection. Adding to the collection, today, there are other pieces available, includingmatching cuffs, engagement rings, wedding bands, and casual everyday pieces like rings, earrings, and necklaces. He was a very rare thing: a jewellery designer who understood design in the broadest sense of the word, Becker explains. The 2009 version of the charity bracelet was promoted by actress Eva Mendes. Some of GGGs gift suggestions contain affiliate links. Rumor has it that the bracelets were not to be sold to individuals, only to couples. [8] The screwdriver is also available in the form of a necklace, allowing the bracelet to be "locked" onto one person, while the "key" is kept around the neck of another, as a symbol for their commitment to their relationship. Thanks for contacting us. Today the Love design includes a selection of cuffs, engagement rings, wedding bands, rings, earrings, and necklaces. In the 1960s, Cartier was long making exquisite jewelry, but it wasnt until Cipullo joined that something so emblematic of the brand was created. Therefore, the giver of the bracelet essentially locks themselves to the recipient, since the bracelet cannot be taken off easily. We've received your submission. When Aldo Cipullo created the Cartier Love bracelet in New York in 1969, it heralded a new age of modernity in the way we wear jewellery. His career wasnt just about one iconic design, he could do anything, says Renato Cipullo, his brother and the books coauthor, who today is responsible for an archive of thousands of Aldos designs of everything from fine to high jewellery, T-shirts to furniture. Yes, you can chalk it up to a marketing gimmick, but none the less, Cartier's love collection has become an aspirational want of many women. What modern people want are love symbols that look semi-permanentor, at least, require a trick to remove. Pictured here at a party in 1978, Cipullo worked hard and played hard, and was a regular on Manhattans social scene. Cipullo secured two golden arcs tightly around the wrist using functional and visible screws, whose design was echoed around the bangle in a series of engraved screw heads. Unlike other more traditional bracelets, which are either wide enough to slip over the hand onto the wrist or can readily be opened in order to put them on, the Love bracelet is designed to be opened only by using a special screwdriver that is supplied with every bracelet. [9], "Enduring Love: The Lasting Value of the Cartier Love Bracelet", "How To Spot A Fake Cartier Love Bracelet", "Would you spend 4,000 on a bracelet that you need a SCREWDRIVER to remove? At the time, Cartier New York was run independently from Cartier Paris, and its chief executive Michael Thomas snapped up Cipullos offer of the design immediately. Born in 1969, Cartiers iconic Love bracelet was the creation of New York designer Aldo Cipullo, who had a knack for transforming everyday objects into unconventional jewels. Cartier has offered the Love bracelet in 18k yellow gold, 18k "pink" (rose) gold, 18k white gold, and in platinum. I was searching for a permanent symbol of love, he said. By the end of the 1960s, his designs for the New York jeweller reflected the graphic modernism for which he later became famous, and it was only when his contract was expiring in 1969 that a romantic breakup led him to conceive of the Love bracelet. I felt very sad. Not long after his move, Cipullo made the transition to Cartier where heconceptualizedthe semi-permanent Love bracelet, fashioned after medieval chastity belts. Pairing 9+ years of experience, authenticity courses, and several third-party authentication/appraisal services, we're proud to offer a forever guarantee on our products. After ten years working for the likes of Tiffany & Co. and David Webb, Cipullo landed a job at Cartier. I wanted something no one could take away from me. Now, more than half a century later, Cartier has announced a new addition to its Love family: a necklace in yellow or rose gold thats accented with the collections famous screw motif (plus a handy clasp). [5], In the 1990s, Cartier filed a lawsuit against multiple jewelry stores in Manhattan and Puerto Rico, alleging that the stores were selling counterfeit Love Bracelets.[6][7]. In. 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It was widely reported at the time that to mark its launch, Cartier gifted pairs of its new Love bracelets to famous couples, including Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. At its launch, Cartier gave many famous couples the bracelets to wear, including Ali MacGraw and Steve McQueen, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, and even the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. For the bracelet in particular, the snug-fitting oval silhouette requires a screw and screwdriver to wear as intended. It captured the spirit of the time when sexual liberation and casual luxury were coming to the fore, says Vivienne Becker, author of a new book, Cipullo: Making Jewelry Modern, which is published on Thursday. Cipullo: Making Jewelry Modern is published by Assouline on 4 February. Love that Bag etc is the premier online consignment destination in Canada for authentic preowned designer handbags, clothing, shoes, and accessories. While his legacy most famously lives on through his creations for Cartier, Renato hopes the book will bring to life the vibrant personality and enduring talent of an Italian designer who realised his very own American dream. Meghan Markle is often pictured wearing her Cartier Love bracelet, which shes owned for years. After all, love symbols should suggest an everlasting quality. His design did just that. The collection is famous because the signature bangle can only be taken off with a miniature screwdriver. After all, love symbols should suggest an everlasting quality., Cartier 101: The Timeless Allure of the Tank Watch.