INSPIRATION
The History Of The Cartier Juste Un Clou Bracelet
The history of the
Cartier Juste un Clou
Bracelet
Established in 1847 by Parisian, Louis-François Cartier, Cartier is now one of the world’s finest and most distinguished jewellery brands. In this blog, we explore the history of the brand and the significance of the Juste un Clou bracelet - one of the most highly acclaimed Cartier bracelets.
The history of cartier
Following Louis-François Cartier’s success in Paris, his grandsons Louis, Pierre and Jacques worked to turn the brand into a global sensation. Initially creating men’s wristwatches in 1907, which were at first favoured by aviators, only to be adopted by the general public too, the brand soon expanded into other pieces of fine jewellery for both men and women alike.
Initially renowned for its art deco designs, unique shapes and elegant touches, it’s no surprise that Cartier pieces soon became the must-have accessories for the affluent all across the globe. Royalty throughout the ages have favoured the Cartier brand, selecting watches, tiaras, bracelets and other timeless pieces for major events.
King Edward VII described Cartier as the jeweller of kings and the king of jewellers, which was a huge badge of honour for the designers. The king opted to commission 27 Cartier tiaras for his coronation in 1902, further contributing to Cartier’s reputation of elegance and style. Spain, Portugal and Russia’s courts also followed suit, leading the brand to be one of the most successful in not only Europe but the whole world. The British Royal family have continued in the same vein to this day, with Kate Middleton often choosing to wear several Cartier Pieces over the years.
Renowned for both class and style, Cartier also holds merit environmentally. In 2018, the brand ranked 2nd in the WWF’s environmental rating report of jewellers. Cartier ensure they create their pieces "in an environmentally responsible manner" by "minimising negative environmental impacts".
The Juste un Clou Bracelet
From the romanticism of 1900s Paris to the industrialism of 1970’s New York, the Cartier Juste Un Clou bracelet was born.
The Juste un Clou collection was designed in 1971 New York by Aldo Cipullo, an illustrious jewellery designer from Naples, Italy. Cipullo moved to the United States in 1959 and quickly began making a name for himself in the field of fine jewellery. After working for brands like Tiffany & Co. and David Webb, he made the move to Cartier where his career really took off, making him one of the most distinguished jewellery designers of his time, and a huge influence on Cartier’s future direction.
Before creating the nail inspired bracelet, Cipullo had already found major success for the brand by creating the infamous Love bracelet, which is instantly recognisable and synonymous with sentimentality. Its design incorporates a screwdriver to keep the Cartier bracelet firmly in place, setting it aside from other luxurious brands.
Using the daring yet refined designs from Cartier’s beginnings, Cipullo added his flair and love for nuts, bolts and screws to create the Juste un Clou bracelet - a turning point for the brand. Despite its minimalistic and androgynous design, the bracelet quickly became a key piece in the Cartier collection. The Juste un Clou, which literally translates to ‘just a nail’, is one of the edgier styles of bracelets in Cartier’s range but has inspired many more industrial-style pieces.
Despite being designed to look like a curved nail, the Juste un Clou collection has an air of femininity surrounding it, making it extremely popular with women all over the globe. Constructed in materials such as white gold, yellow gold and rose gold, it’s easy to find a Cartier bracelet to suit any style or skin tone. Due to the immeasurable success of the Juste un Clou bracelet, Cartier has expanded the collection to feature earrings, rings and necklaces - all designed with “just a nail” in mind.