Aldo Cipullo’s Cartier Legacy: Love and Juste un Clou Designs Available at NY Elizabeth

Italian-American jewelry designer Aldo Cipullo learned his craft from a young age. The son of a costume jeweler, Cipullo grew up around the jewelry business and turned to designing full-time after completing college. He designed for firms such as David Webb and Tiffany & Co. before taking a position with Cartier in the late 1960s. Soon after, Cipullo created two designs that reshaped the modern jewelry sensibility: the Love bracelet and the Juste un Clou series. These popular styles remain in high demand both directly from Cartier and in the auction market

This spring, NY Elizabeth will present its 400-lot Captivating Cartier Creations auction on April 21, 2024. The catalog particularly highlights the work of Aldo Cipullo and his legacy designs.  

Love

The idea for the Love bracelet– a sleek band that is tightly secured to the wearer’s wrist by individually-turning screws– came to Aldo Cipullo while he still worked for Tiffany, according to scholar Vivienne Becker for Phillips. He took the concept with him to Cartier and quickly launched it. The minimalist design perfectly aligned with the changing trends of the 1970s, as well as a growing movement to democratize jewelry for everyday wear. Inspired by the heartbreak of a recent romantic breakup, Cipullo intended for the design to represent permanence. 

An example of Cipullo’s Love bracelet design is available in the upcoming NY Elizabeth sale. This 18-karat rose gold bracelet is 17cm long and is presented with a certificate of authenticity (lot #89). Studded with tiny diamonds, it has a presale estimate of USD 58,750 to $70,500. 

The Love bracelet was an immediate hit, worn by the likes of Elizabeth Taylor, Frank Sinatra, and Cary Grant. With time, the Love design expanded beyond the screwed-on bracelets. The classic band with plain screw motifs now appears on necklaces, rings, pendants, and other jewelry items from Cartier. This includes an 18-karat white gold and diamond pendant necklace, available with NY Elizabeth (lot #100; estimate: $11,000 – $13,200). In this variation, two rings are interlocked and connected by a delicate chain. 

Juste un Clou

With the success of the Love bracelet still going strong, Aldo Cipullo created his second classic design for Cartier. The Juste un Clou (“Just a Nail”) series was launched in 1971. Inspired by the industrial styles sweeping New York at the time, as well as the symbolism of nails in Christianity, Cipullo imagined a simple nail twisted to become jewelry. Cipullo was fond of hardware themes and jewelry that could be intentionally androgynous. The Juste un Clou collection brought those interests together. 

A simple, elegant Juste un Clou bracelet in 18-karat yellow gold will soon be available in this upcoming auction (lot #262). Featuring the nail’s flat head on one end and sharp point on the other, this piece comes to the market with an estimate of $9,750 to $11,700. 

Decades after Cipullo had left the brand to pursue his own projects, Cartier revived the Juste un Clou series. The company introduced new variations to the design in 2012, switching the type and thickness of the metals used. Juste un Clou earrings, bracelets, rings, and other items are now enjoying a popular revival. A selection of them will be available with NY Elizabeth this April, including a pair of 18-karat yellow gold earrings (lot #77; estimate: $7,750 – $9,300). 

Bidding for NY Elizabeth’s Captivating Cartier Collections sale will begin at 12:00 PM EDT on April 21, 2024. To view the complete auction catalog and register to bid, visit Bidsquare. Find additional coverage of this event on Auction Daily.