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10 Facts About The Cartier Love Bracelet
Cartier’s Love bracelet is one of the most recognisable luxury jewellery items today. This exquisite bangle has been an essential part of Cartier's DNA and heritage for over 50 years. Keep reading to learn interesting facts about the dazzling Cartier Love bracelet.
1. Bangle Beginnings
The Love bracelet wasn't designed at Cartier's headquarters in Paris, but at their New York workshops in 1969 by famous Italian jeweller, Aldo Cipullo.
2. Love & Controversy
The Love bracelet is a unisex item that’s controversially inspired by medieval chastity belts. Cipullo states, "what modern people want are love symbols that look semi-permanent—or, at least, require a trick to remove. After all, love symbols should suggest an everlasting quality."
The love bracelet is oval-shaped, ensuring it fits as closely as possible to your loved one’s wrist. Moreover, it can only be removed with the assistance of a special screwdriver that comes with the bracelet. The idea is that you surrender the screwdriver to your lover so that they alone can unlock your love. This is why many refer to it as ‘modern love handcuffs’. It became a symbol to show the world that you’re taken or ‘locked into love’.
3. Hospitals Needed To Stock Cartier Screwdrivers
Because the Love bracelets became so popular, New York City hospitals had to stock Cartier’s special screwdrivers for when patients needed them removed in an emergency.
4. Love Bracelets For Love Only
The Love bracelet is designed with two screws secured on opposite sides of the bracelet. Although this may be difficult to do on your own, it’s easier with a partner which is why the company first sold them to couples only. Again, with the idea of the partner keeping the screwdriver to ‘unlock your love’ exclusively.
However, today you can buy a Cartier Love bracelet for when you're in a relationship or simply in love with yourself!
5. Cartier Watches
The Love bracelet screws are modelled after the bezel of Cartier's iconic Santos watch. The Santos watch is the first piece to become socially acceptable for men to wear. Before 1904, women wore wristwatches while men wore pocket watches. Read more interesting facts about Cartier in our previous blog.
ALSO SEE: ALL THE REASONS WHY WE LOVE CARTIER WATCHES
6. Precious Metals
Love bracelets were originally exclusively silver or gold-plated. However, once the product became more popular Cartier produced solid gold models as well as diamonds. Today, you can purchase your love bracelet in 18k yellow, white, rose gold, as well as 950 platinum along with diamonds.
7. Authenticating The Cartier Love Bracelet
The original Love bracelet did not include serial numbers. But every designer brand knows that with popularity comes counterfeiters. Thereafter, Cartier began engraving their bracelets each with a unique number.
8. Celebrity Love
To boost popularity, Cartier gifted famous celebrity couples with matching love bracelets. Some of these couples include Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, and Sophia Loren and Carlo Ponti and even the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.
9. Spreading The Love
Today, Cartier offers the ‘Love collection’ which includes rings, earrings, pendants, cufflinks, and more. Its designer, Aldo Cipullo, also created the ‘Juste un Clou’ (French for 'just a nail'), another iconic piece commonly known as the nail bracelet.
10. The Centerpiece of Your Ensemble
The Love bracelet is often credited with revolutionising the way people wear jewellery. In 1969, people often used jewellery to compliment your outfit, however, the Love bracelet was not specifically made for any type of outfit or occasion. Instead, it was meant as an everyday accessory to be worn night and day.
Where To Buy The Love Bracelet & Other Cartier Accessories
Luxity is the largest and most trusted source of pre-owned luxury watches, jewellery, handbags, shoes and other accessories in all of Africa. View our exquisite selection of Cartier items or sell your unwanted authentic accessories to free up some cash and buy even more luxury goodies!
