In a word: yes. Um, big time. Cartier Love bracelets aren’t going anywhere. Many insist that the Love bracelet exploded into popularity with the help of the Kardashian-Jenner clan and their cohort (and Cartier’s #1 customer) Jaden Smith. And that’s partially true.
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But the initial boom came from the Love bracelet’s first run. They’ve been hot from the get-go, thanks to designer Aldo Cipullo’s cheeky design innuendo (they represent chastity belts) and Cartier’s general jewelry genius. The King of Jewelers snapped up the design, dropped it in that glossy red box and an iconic accessory was born.
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But after decades of the bracelet as a cult-classic, it suddenly exploded into the must-have Millennial accessory. Thank Instagram and, yeah, the Jenners. This resulted in an absolute deluge of fake Love bangles cheaply made and cheaply priced being sold everywhere from Canal Street to Amazon. But does the true Love bracelet still reign supreme?
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Undeniably so. Raymond Lee Jewelers can barely keep our authentic used Love bracelets in stock. And the fakes aren’t slowing down either. But another indicator is the other luxury brands trying to create their own status symbol bracelets. Namely, Tiffany. When the Tiffany T collection was released in 2014, I swooned over the sleek, simple design of the bangle bracelets in particular. And any jewelry lover can see the resemblance (clean lines, bangle, diamond-studded and plain options, subtle but unmistakable branding) to the Cartier Love bangle.
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And this year Tiffany introduced the HardWear line, a “subversive” line inspired by a collection from 1971 that uses utilitarian elements in an unexpected, elegant way. Sound familiar? Or even look to the newly re-introduced Return to Tiffany collection. The toggle bracelets are back (sans toggle) with a much higher price tag and a rose gold edition. But more interestingly, there’s a bangle encircled with Return to Tiffany hearts. Cartier’s biggest competition is out to stake a claim for their own iconic wristwear, so clearly the Panther’s still doing something right.
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So if you’ve been lusting after a Love bracelet for years and now you’ve saved up to buy the real deal (because you’re smart and beautiful) but now you’re wondering if they’re still on-trend? Go for it. This trend is actually a classic.
