Aldo Cipullo for Cartier Seahorse Brooch Gold Enamel Gemstones

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 bracelet is still in production. A few years later in 1974, despite all the success he gained being a Cartier designer, Cipullo opened his own shop. Freedom to create allowed him to embody all his whimsical ideas. His concept was making jewelry with purpose and meaning. He wanted his clients to wear jewelry day and night and that’s lead him to the functional design. In 1978 the American Gem Society invited Cipullo to create a collection using only gemstones native to the United States. It was another Cipuillo’s triumph. 31 items were made with Montana sapphires, Arkansas diamonds, and Arizona turquoise. Today the collection is displayed in the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. During his bright yet not long enough career — he died being only 48 — Aldo Cipullo considered the role of the jewelry as to protect, communicate, and commemorate. His design communicates all these elements to the fullest.