When Italian designer Aldo Cipullo designed Cartier’s Love bracelet in 1969, he invented much more than an iconic piece of jewelry; he created a lasting metaphor for devotion.
The Love bracelet’s oval shape, engineered to fit closely to the wrist, was configured to be locked in place with a miniature screwdriver, a radical gesture of permanence. Almost overnight, the Love bracelet became a phenomenon, worn by the likes of Elizabeth Taylor and Sophia Loren and sought after as the ultimate expression of commitment.
Over the decades, Cartier would revisit the Love concept again and again, creating slimmer bangles and pavé-diamond versions and appropriating the design in rings, earrings, and pendants. Few pieces of jewelry have inspired such cultural obsession—or attained such staying power, with Beyoncé and Meghan Markle among the contemporary Love devotees.
This season, Cartier has once again returned to the Love motif with the launch of Love Unlimited, a new collection of ridged rings and flexible bands rendered in 18-karat rose, yellow, and white gold. The bracelets, specifically, bend and shift with the wearer, imbuing the signature screw detail with a new fluidity. Each Love Unlimited bracelet is composed of 200 miniature components, with a new clasp that allows the piece to be put on or taken off with just one hand. The individual pieces can also be linked together and transformed into necklaces, belts, and even bag charms.
The overall effect makes the design feel at once lighter and more adaptable, a perfect metaphor for a new era when love and devotion take shape in many forms—and are constantly evolving.
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