Love

The Love bracelet was designed by Aldo Cipullo for Cartier New York in 1969. A flat gold bangle dotted with screw heads, it came with a silver-gilt screwdriver. The design, simple yet strikingly visual, came across as a manifesto. “I was searching for a permanent symbol of love,” said the Italian-American designer. The screwdriver, in fact, made it possible for a partner to attach the bracelet to the wrist of his or her beloved, in a gesture that literally sealed the couple’s union.

Cipullo discussed the originality of his inspiration by pointing out that “we are surrounded everywhere by things that are bolted down or nailed.” It is also possible to see the design as a discreet allusion to the screws that decorated the Santos watch, designed by Cartier in 1904 and marketed seven years later. Cipullo’s design approach thereby respected the Maison’s tradition of seeking beauty everywhere, even in everyday objects, which reveal their aesthetic power once detached from their functional role and remade in refined, noble materials.

Resonating with the creative freedom and excitement that characterized New York at the time, the Love bracelet embodied a major shift in the world of jewelry. “I believe in a radical change in jewelry,” stated Cipullo, “it should be more fun!”

The Love bracelet was an immediate hit, appealing to a young clientele and openly flaunted by a number of celebrities. It could be seen on the wrists of some of the most high-profile couples of the day, like actress Sophia Loren and her husband (the producer Carlo Ponti), Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, Cary Grant and Dyan Cannon, Nancy and Frank Sinatra, and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. On screen and in real life, it consecrated the tumultuous affair between Steve McQueen and Ali MacGraw, who wore it in the film of The Getaway.