Thursday, November 11, 2010

The little red box...with screwdriver

While we're on the subject of jewelry that inspires fanatic devotion and obssessive collecting...

I submit...



The red Cartier box is as coveted as the Tiffany blue one...and the history of the Love Bracelet is quite interesting.

The summer of 1969 was a momentous time. And what better way to penetrate the freewheeling hippie movement than with a bracelet inspired by a Chastity belt? Except the Love Bracelet was originally designed to be worn by couples, each person locking their beloved into the piece.

The Cartier Love Bracelet of 1969 was designed by a French jeweler named Aldo Cipullo, who created some amazing pieces for Cartier before his early death at the age of 48 from heart disease. The original gold version was in two pieces, joined together by bolts that could be unlocked with a matching screwdriver.

Cartier originally marketed the Love Bracelet to Hollywood couples only: Ali McGraw and Steve McQueen, and Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Now it comes in various metals: gold, rose gold, white gold, platinum, and there's even one in a white enamel, I think. Each comes with a Cartier screwdriver.

I love to wear them in the full stack.

Locked in,
ABL

1 comment:

Mrs. Z said...

Gorgeous and thanks for the history! I always wondered what the story is behind those little baubles!

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Living well is the best revenge...and a choice we make every day. Join me as I celebrate the bounty of beauty in all its forms: fashion, homestyle, accessories and everyday richness...as I juggle the roles of Mommy, wife, daughter, dog mommy, creative director, Zumba instructor, volunteer...all with more than a passing glance backward to an old-school, classic time when style was a way of life