1980s Cartier A. Cipullo Citrine Topaz Diamond Gold Floral Motif Bracelet
About the Item
- Creator:
- Metal:
- Stone:
- Weight:85.4 g
- Dimensions:Width: 1.13 in (28.71 mm)Length: 7.25 in (184.15 mm)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1980s
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Beverly Hills, CA
- Reference Number:
Aldo Cipullo for Cartier
In a jewelry-design career spanning just over two decades, Aldo Cipullo created a portfolio of iconic pieces. And decades after his death, his most famous, the Cartier Love bracelet, remains a best seller.
A life devoted to jewelry seemed preordained for Cipullo, who was born in Naples in 1935 and raised in Rome. His father, Giuseppe, manufactured costume jewelry, and Cipullo, the eldest of five siblings, began selling goods for the family business at age 15.
In 1959, Cipullo left postwar Italy for New York City. He had found the right place at the right time to ply his prodigious talent and navigated between some of the most prestigious jewelers situated on the city’s most glittering thoroughfares, 57th Street and Fifth Avenue. Cipullo’s first stop was the workshop of David Webb, a favorite among the mid-century beau monde. Webb, who was one of America’s most influential and best-loved jewelry designers, became a mentor for the new arrival, advising him to call himself a designer despite his bench jeweler job description.
Tiffany & Co. came next. Cipullo alighted at the design studio in 1964, becoming — along with Sonia Younis, Don Berg and Donald Claflin — part of a youthquake that brought fresh ideas to the stately American brand.
At Tiffany, Cipullo came into his own as a designer with an original point of view, developing a facility across a broad swathe of motifs and inspirations that included lifelike florals, stylized African animals and masks, modern geometries — and hardware, expressed in a series of key-shaped brooches that offer the first glimpse of a theme he would return to later. By the end of the 1960s, he was designing some of Tiffany’s crown jewels, pieces in its Blue Book high-jewelry collection, often using lapis, coral or turquoise. These colorful opaque gems were among the materials that would become hallmarks of his work.
According to the designer’s brother Renato Cipullo — a coauthor with jewelry journalist Vivienne Becker on Cipullo: Making Jewelry Modern (Assouline) — when the term of a two-year contract with Tiffany neared its end in 1969, the brand passed on a gold bracelet design Aldo presented to the house. Though Tiffany wasn’t ready to raise Cipullo’s profile, another suitor would soon pick up the piece and give it, and in turn Cipullo, a major public platform. He struck a deal with Michael Thomas, president of Cartier New York, to carry some of his designs — including the new bracelet — exclusively.
Becker recounts the history of the Cartier Love bracelet in the book: Cipullo frequently said that the Love bracelet was born of a sleepless night contemplating a love affair gone wrong and his realization that “the only remnants he possessed of the romance were memories.” He distilled the urge to keep a loved one close into a slim 18-karat gold bangle. The Love bracelet combined hardware with elements of symbolic Victorian jewelry and the chastity belt, plus the ritual of meaningful adornment.
The bracelet, along with its designer, was just the tonic that Cartier needed at the start of the 1970s, a moment when the venerable brand was seeking an injection of youthful jet-set glamour. Cipullo’s winning streak with the brand continued, even as he designed for his own studio, Aldo Cipullo Ltd., which he established in the early part of the decade.
The Love design — which also yielded a ring and a necklace — was not Cipullo’s sole hardware-inspired jewelry for Cartier; his unisex Juste un Clou (“just a nail”) bracelet takes the form of a curved nail. When he died, at the age of 48, from a double heart attack, Cipullo was only getting started. Nevertheless, he left a profound legacy.
Find vintage Aldo Cipullo Cartier jewelry today on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Beverly Hills, CA
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 3 days of delivery.
- Vintage 1980s Yellow White Gold Diamond BraceletLocated in Beverly Hills, CAVintage (c. 1980s) 18k gold and diamond bracelet. Made of 18k yellow gold convex lens shapes connected by 18k white gold and diamond links. Diamonds are round brilliant cut, G-H colo...Category
Vintage 1980s Retro Bracelets
MaterialsDiamond, 18k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
- Cartier by Cipullo Love BraceletBy Aldo Cipullo for CartierLocated in Beverly Hills, CABeing a symbol of commitment, a Love bracelet was designed as a minimalistic piece in 1969 and was bound to become iconic. The Cartier Love bracelet is supposed to be put on by someone who mutually loves you. Two screws on both sides hold the bracelet together to represent locked in feelings. The gold Love bracelet looks very neat. It has a perfect width, it's shiny yet classic and elegant. It's a perfect Cartier bracelet that suits anyone's taste. This particular Love bracelet is signed by Love bracelet designer Aldo Cipullo. It's from 1970s and that's why it has both signatures, the Cartier and Cipullo. This Love bracelet is size 17 (will fit up to 7" wrist). Comes with a screwdriver. About Aldo Cipullo Aldo Cipullo is mostly known as a creator of the famous Cartier Love bracelet. However, he designed several iconic pieces, and his talent was appreciated by David Webb and Tiffany & Co. His father was a costume jewelry maker, and Aldo worked as an apprentice at one of his workshops. But Cipullo’s ambition went further than Italy where he was born. After he turned 23, he moved to New York to study at The School of Visual Arts. In 1969 Aldo Cipullo started to work for Cartier, and his glorious journey began. Very soon after Cipullo came up with the idea of Cartier Love bracelet. The new design made a big splash in the jewelry world. It was a completely new perspective of the classic look. There is a story behind creating Love bracelet. It says Cipullo was heartbroken at that time after a failed love affair. He wanted to lock in his memories as it was all he had left. Being fascinated by industrial features of New York City and all things hardware, he drew his first draft of the bracelet. Another emblematic piece by Cipullo called Juste en Clou (Just a Nail) came up in 1971. The minimalist, wrapped around nail-looking gold bracelet was a great success. Today the yellow gold, rose gold and white gold Cartier Nail...Category
Vintage 1970s Bangles
Materials18k Gold, Yellow Gold
- Vintage Birks 14k Yellow Gold Retro Bracelet Citrine Diamond Estate JewelryBy BirksLocated in Beverly Hills, CALovely and bold retro bracelet created by Birks in the 1940s. Made of 14 karat yellow gold and platinum. The highlights of this beautiful feminine bracelet are an approx. 25 carats p...Category
Vintage 1940s American Retro Retro Bracelets
MaterialsWhite Diamond, Citrine, Yellow Gold, 14k Gold, Platinum
- Vintage Diamond Yellow Gold Bangle Bracelet, 1980sLocated in Beverly Hills, CAElegant and wearable bracelet. Made of 18 karat (tested) yellow gold and set with round brilliant cut diamonds (H-I color and VS clarity, total weight is approximately 0.30 carat). ...Category
Vintage 1980s Unknown Bangles
MaterialsWhite Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
- Marina B Yellow Gold Pendant Necklace with Blue Topaz and Diamond, 1980sBy Marina BLocated in Beverly Hills, CAChic articulated necklace created by Marina B in 1980s. Elegant and wearable, the necklace is a great addition to your jewelry collection. The necklace is made of 18 karat yellow go...Category
Vintage 1980s Italian Pendant Necklaces
MaterialsDiamond, Topaz, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Base Metal
- Victorian 14k Yellow Gold Necklace Earrings Bracelet Set Citrine Seed PearlLocated in Beverly Hills, CABeautiful Victorian set made of 14 karat (stamped) yellow gold, featuring nineteen emerald mixed cut citrines (approximately 200 carats total) accented with seed pearls. Measurements...Category
Antique Early 1900s Unknown More Necklaces
MaterialsPearl, Citrine, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
- Vintage 1980s Diamond and Yellow Gold BraceletLocated in Jesmond, Newcastle Upon TyneA fine and impressive vintage 0.60 carat diamond and 18 karat yellow gold, 18 karat white gold set bracelet; part of our diverse diamond jewelry collection. This fine and impressive...Category
Vintage 1980s Unknown Link Bracelets
MaterialsDiamond, 18k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
- 1980s Gold Link BraceletLocated in New York, NYVintage circa 1980s 14k gold link bracelet, measuring 7.5" in length and 28mm in width. Marked 14k. Weighs 76.8 grams. SKU#B-02025Category
20th Century More Bracelets
Materials18k Gold
- 18K Yellow Gold Modern 21.5 ct Amethyst Citrine Topaz Chain BraceletBy VR JewelsLocated in Houston, TXBracelets are worn to enhance the look. Women love to look good. It is common to see a woman rocking a lovely gold bracelet on her wrist. A gold gemstone bracelet is the ultimate sta...Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Modern Bracelets
MaterialsAmethyst, Citrine, Topaz, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
- Gold Blue Topaz Diamond BraceletLocated in New York, NY18k white gold Italian-made bracelet with blue topaz gemstones and approx. 0.15ctw in diamonds. Bracelet is 7 1/8" long and 9mm wide. Marked with Italian mark, 750. Weighs 35.4 grams.Category
20th Century More Bracelets
MaterialsDiamond, Topaz, Gold
- Bulgari Sapphire Diamond Bracelet, circa 1980sBy BulgariLocated in New York, NYFounded in 1884 in Rome, Bulgari is known for signature sunny shades of yellow gold and vibrantly colored gemstones composed in curvaceous patterns. The muse of this Italian fine jew...Category
20th Century Italian Bangles
MaterialsDiamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold
- 1980s Diamond Ruby Sapphire Link BraceletLocated in New York, NYFinely crafted in 18k yellow gold with Square cut Diamonds weighing approximately a total of 3.00 carats, Square cut Rubies weighing approximately a total of 2.40 carats, and Square ...Category
Vintage 1980s Unknown More Bracelets
MaterialsDiamond, Ruby, Sapphire, 18k Gold