Feel Like Royalty | Cartier Jewelry
Hello my name is Claudine Faifer, I have worked with Keith Gray, founder of Gray & Sons, for over 30 years. He asked me to share with you my passion for great jewelry pieces, more specifically my admiration and love for the house of Cartier which has created jewelry fit for Queens and Royalty all over the world since the opening of their first Paris store in 1847. I was born in Paris in 1949. When I got married in 1969 my husband gave me two beautiful red boxes, in the first one was a plain gold cuff/bangle decorated with screws and a small screw driver. In the second box was a ring made of three “rolling” bands, each one with a different color gold: white, yellow and rose. After placing the ring on my finger, my husband then unscrewed the sides of the bracelet, fit it on my wrist, secured the screws with the screw driver and then threw the screw driver away. I was twenty and had just received my two first Cartier presents: a Love bracelet, designed by Aldo Cipullo, and a Trinity rolling ring. I felt like a real Princess. I was intrigued and wanted to know more about the two beautiful unusual presents I just received. Little did I know then that the Love bracelet and the Trinity rolling ring I had just received, would start my long love story with jewelry and Cartier jewelry in particular. These are two of the most recognizable and iconic designs created by Cartier. The Trinity ring created in 1924 and the Love bracelet created in 1969, are still as popular today as the day they were first introduced.
Cartier Trinity Rolling Rings
In 1924, at the request of the famous French artist, poet, filmmaker and novelist Jean Cocteau - who wanted to give an unusual symbolic ring to his lover, famous actress Jean Marais - Louis Cartier designed one of the most iconic Cartier creations: the Trinity ring. In the 1920s, with the Art Deco era in full swing and “flapper” style at its peak, Cartier was famous for its colorful and exotic creations. To create something like the Trinity ring, pared back to the basics of pure design, with no embellishments, showed great bravura. The three bands depict fidelity, friendship and love, which has made the Trinity design an enduring symbol of relationships. Since the original ring and bracelet, the collection has grown to include earrings, necklaces and most recently, pavé diamonds and colored stones, pearls and a trio of gold hearts. One of the newest additions to the collection is a classic Trinity ring, transformed into a sparkling engagement ring with pavé diamonds covering each of the three bands. Other new Trinity rings have been embellished with pink and blue sapphires for an unexpectedly colorful take on a classic.
The Love Bracelet
Aldo Cipullo drew his inspiration from the barbaric practice of Medieval Chastity Belts. (According to folklore, chastity belts were designed to be worn by women during the Crusades to preserve their faithfulness to their husbands who left for years to fight). Aldo Cipullo focused on the symbolism of devotion and fidelity. His Love bracelet design, featured a solid cuff with screws and a lock mechanism so that it remains secure around a lover’s wrist. The bracelet comes with a screw driver which is meant to be kept by the significant other who placed it. Since 1969 it has been a symbol of love all around the world. For the “in” crowd and the rich and famous of the world it has been a “must have” piece. In the last 10 years, the Love bracelet has enjoyed such a renewed popularity that New York Hospitals stock these Love screw drivers in their wards so that they are able to remove the bracelet from a patient’s wrists in case of emergency. But all hell breaks loose if their Cartier isn’t returned!