Cartier in 18 Karat White Gold, 3 Diamond Love Ring

Transgressive may not be the first word that comes to mind when you think of Cartier's Love ring, but when the collection was designed in 1969, it was immediately understood as radical and provocative. 

With respect to traditions at the acclaimed French luxury jewelry house, Cartier had a policy that mandated the anonymity of its designers, so the names of its in-house artisans weren’t known outside the firm. The brand’s much-publicized emergence of Italian jeweler Aldo Cipullo (1935–84), who created the Love bracelet not at the brand’s headquarters in Paris, but in its New York City workshop, was indicative that change had come.

And, of course, there’s the Love bracelet itself: Modeled after a medieval chastity belt, Cipullo designed the cuff in two halves to be locked or unlocked with “a special vermeil screwdriver” — according to Cartier’s print advertisements at the time — that one’s lover would keep on hand.

In its understated, unisex design, which simultaneously seemed to take aim at conventional ideas about fashion, sexuality, love and romance at once — particularly as city streets and college campuses of the era were engulfed in social unrest — the Love bracelet became an instant classic. 

Following the immense success of the Love bracelet, Cartier went on to produce earrings, necklaces and, perhaps most obviously, rings. It’s long been reported that the Love collection is the brand’s most popular and largest series, as Cartier has since augmented the line with cufflinks and watches, too.

When the Love ring was introduced, it boasted little in the way of ornamentation, much like the bracelet that launched the line. (Subsequent variations of the bracelet were embellished with diamonds and sapphires.)

The ring was originally dotted with miniature faux screwheads that mirrored those of the groundbreaking modernist cuff before it — not only referencing the series’ playful signature characteristic but also prominently underscoring the theme of permanence that Cipullo had in mind when he conceived of the design.

Today, the Cartier love ring is available in a variety of models: from a simple 18-karat yellow-gold wedding band to an 18-karat pink-gold ring inlaid with six brilliant-cut diamonds. Every Cartier Love ring is stamped with its metal type, serial number and ring size. 

For its extraordinary range of bracelets, watches, rings and other adornments, French luxury house Cartier is undeniably one of the most well known and internationally revered jewelers in the world among clients both existing and aspirational.

Perhaps 1847 was not the ideal time to open a new watchmaking and jewelry business, as the French Revolution was not kind to the aristocracy who could afford such luxuries. Nevertheless, it was the year Louis-François Cartier (1819–1904) — who was born into poverty — founded his eponymous empire, assuming control of the workshop of watchmaker Adolphe Picard, under whom he had previously been employed as an assistant. Of course, in the beginning, it was a relatively modest affair, but by the late 1850s, Cartier had its first royal client, Princess Mathilde Bonaparte, niece of Napoleon Bonaparte, who commissioned the jeweler to design brooches, earrings and other accessories.

Under the leadership of Louis-François’s son, Alfred, who took over in 1874, business boomed. Royalty around the world wore Cartier pieces, including Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, the Maharaja of Patiala and King Edward VII, who had 27 tiaras made by the jewelry house for his coronation in 1902 and issued Cartier a royal warrant in 1904. (Today, the British royal family still dons Cartier pieces; Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, regularly sports a Ballon Bleu de Cartier watch.)

Cartier’s golden years, however, began when Alfred introduced his three sons, Louis, Pierre and Jacques, to the business. The brothers expanded Cartier globally: Louis reigned in Paris, Pierre in New York and Jacques in London, ensuring their brand’s consistency at their branches across the world. The trio also brought in such talents as Charles Jacqueau and Jeanne Toussaint.

One of Cartier’s earliest major successes was the Santos de Cartier watch — one of the world's first modern wristwatches for men. (Previously, a large number of people were using only pocket watches.) Louis designed the timepiece in 1904 for his friend, popular Brazilian aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont, who wanted to be able to check the time more easily while flying.

Cartier’s other famous timepieces include the Tank watch, which was inspired by the linear form of military tanks during World War I, and the so-called mystery clocks. Invented by watchmaker and magician Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin and later crafted exclusively for Cartier in the house’s workshop by watchmaker Maurice Couët, the mystery clocks were so named because the integration of glass dials on which the clocks’ hands would seemingly float as well as structures that are hidden away within the base give the illusion that they operate without machinery.

On the jewelry side of the business, Cartier’s internationally renowned offerings include the Tutti Frutti collection, which featured colorful carved gemstones inspired by Jacques’s trip to India and grew in popularity during the Art Deco years; the panthère motif, which has been incorporated into everything from brooches to rings; and the Love bracelet, a minimal, modernist locking bangle inspired by medieval chastity belts that transformed fine jewelry.

While the Cartier family sold the business following the death of Pierre in 1964, the brand continues to innovate today, renewing old hits and creating new masterpieces.

Find contemporary and vintage Cartier watches, engagement rings, necklaces and other accessories on 1stDibs.