Almost 60 years ago, Cartier introduced the world to one of the most iconic and sentimental jewels of all time – the sleek, oval-shaped Love bracelet designed by Aldo Cipullo. Dreamed up by Cipullo in the throes of a terrible heartbreak, the piece was intended as an everyday alternative to an engagement or wedding ring as a way of preserving cherished memories.
Crafted in polished yellow gold, Cipullo’s innovation featured a screw-head motif inspired by his fondness for New York’s hardware stores. Additionally, it tapped into our collective need for rituals by requiring two people to secure it in place using a tiny screwdriver, which could later be discarded as a gesture of undying commitment. More than half a century on, this deceptively simple and but hugely romantic jewel remains a worldwide bestseller, with legions of glamorous and celebrity devotees, and still racks up millions of online searches every year.
Now, Cartier has ushered in a new era of romance, with the introduction of its Love Unlimited design. An expansion on Cipullo’s original Love design, this modern iteration features tactile, flexible bands of gold which are simpler to slip on and off the skin. Each new bracelet (or ring) features industrial-looking gadroons and hundreds of specially miniaturised components which eliminate the need for links and the pieces are secured with a patent-pending invisible clasp system.
Thanks to the novel clasp system, each white, yellow or rose gold Love Unlimited bracelet can be connected with others to make longer chains, that can also be split up and shared. And while Aldo Cipullo‘s signature screw head motif – with its associations of undying love – remains, this latest design is, according to Cartier, “a new way of embracing the Love gesture – flowing, intimate and sensorial”.
Like this? Check out Cartier’s new Love Unlimited campaign starring Jacob Elordi.
