There have been many new jewellery brands trying to achieve what Cartier have, and none have managed to succeed in the way they have. Cartier is a go-to for many individuals when it comes to buying luxury jewellery, and staple pieces they know they will get years of wear out of. Unlike some jewellery brands, Cartier does not make pieces to succumb to a trend; instead, they start the trends, as we’ve seen with their extremely popular pieces like the ‘Love’ bracelet and ‘Panthère’ collections.
The story of Cartier
The Cartier brand that we know and love today was founded in 1847 by Louis-Francois Cartier. The business grew rapidly and by 1859 the first Cartier boutique was already open. Louis-Francois then passed the business down to his son Alfred, who passed the business down to his sons and they expanded the Cartier business further than Paris, to London and New York too. The brothers were determined to grow the brand in all three cities, and that’s exactly what they did. Even after the death of Louis-Francois, Cartier has continued to flourish and evolve to become the creative brand we see today.
What are the most popular Cartier designs?
Although Cartier has had many successful designs, the one which jewellery enthusiasts admire the most is the colourful ‘Tutti Frutti’ which is inspired by India. The collection features bright sapphires, emeralds and rubies which combine together to create vibrant pieces of jewellery. The idea was born during the 1920s, but the collection name ‘Tutti Frutti’ wasn’t actually created until the 1970s. Daisy Fellowes commissioned a unique design in 1936, as Cartier created a necklace that could also become a brooch.
The most popular modern-day collection is the ‘Love’ collection, and it has been seen on the wrists of many celebrities, from royalty to stars of music and screen.
Does each piece of jewellery have a serial number on it?
In short, the answer is yes. This is one of the easiest ways to tell that what you’ve bought is a genuine Cartier item. Within the piece of jewellery itself, you will find that Cartier has marked it, and this will include a serial number and details of where it was made. Your Cartier jewellery will not only just include this, but it will also have a hallmark stating what type of metal was used and the country of fabrication. Cartier marks their pieces with extensive detail to make sure that replicas cannot be made. If you are buying or selling into the pre-loved market and this is a worry of yours, then you can always take the piece of jewellery to a certified authenticator to get it checked.
The most defining pieces of Cartier jewellery
We could have listed so many pieces of Cartier jewellery on this list, but here we’ve chosen some of the most defining and popular accessories the brand has to offer.
Love bracelet
The Love bracelet is arguably the most famous out of all of Cartier’s designs. Originally created in 1969 by Aldo Cipullo and David Webb, this bracelet is made to show the quality of everlasting love. The idea behind the bracelet is to get a matching one with your significant other and ‘lock’ it onto each other to show you will forever have love for that individual. The bracelet can only be removed by using the screwdriver that Cartier includes in the box. Inspiration for this iconic piece of jewellery was taken from the mediaeval chastity belt. The bracelet is available in white, yellow or rose gold and if you’re looking to bling your bracelet up a bit, you can get luxury bracelets adorned in gemstones; potentially making them an even bigger investment to sell later on.
Ballon Bleu watch
The Ballon Bleu is a watch that is the epitome of royalty and elegance. It’s also been seen on the wrist of royalty herself, Kate Middleton. This watch comes in a variety of sizes, the larger they get the more of a statement they make. Somehow Cartier has mastered the combination of elegance and boldness. The case itself has a rounded profile and is pebble-shaped, which makes it very comfortable to wear. Cartier offers buyers a unique experience with the Ballon Bleu as they only use their in-house movements, Cartier calibre 8101 MC, on their watches.
Panthère de Cartier ring
The panther has become an iconic symbol of the Cartier brand. At the very beginning, the first panther-related piece of jewellery created was a watch, and it featured a mottled design that was supposed to symbolise the fur of the animal. Although this design did change, one element remained the same, the panther had piercing emerald eyes. The design stuck, and now there are over 40 pieces of jewellery in the Panthère line. This collection is a little different from some of the other Cartier lines because it has a bolder design, one which is more likely to catch your eye than go unnoticed.
Juste Un Clou bracelet
Another bracelet makes the list of Cartier’s most defining pieces, and that’s because of its innovative design. The bracelet looks like a single or double nail that is wrapped around your wrist and was first shown in 1971, amidst New York’s industrial design movement. As you can imagine, this industrial design fit right in with the time, so it gained popularity almost instantly. To celebrate Cartier’s 165th anniversary, the brand decided to bring out an entire Juste Un Clou collection, which means you can now buy the design in rings, bracelets, earrings and necklaces.
Cartier specialise in the art of timelessness
Cartier creates consistent jewellery, we know what to expect from Cartier and that is the great thing about the brand. When wearing a piece of Cartier jewellery, you don’t have to worry too much about it clashing with your outfit or another piece of jewellery. Cartier really has mastered the art of creating beautiful and understated pieces of jewellery that can slip right into your current wardrobe. Ultimately, that’s what we love about them.