Despite being one of the most beautifully made pieces of jewelry you will come across, and the fact that the Cartier Love bracelet is one of the most loved pieces of luxury jewelry by Cartier, and is therefore loved by celebrities and the rest of us in equal measure, it has some imperfections.
And in many cases, individuals who have spent thousands on Aldo Cipullo and Cartier’s piece may have some reservations. And so, the statement that everyone ever loves nothing rings true.
So, what are some of the complaints people make about the Cartier Love Bracelet?
Cartier Love Bracelet Complaints
Before we look at some of the common problems that people raise about the Cartier Love bracelet, let’s look at something that’s a tad controversial – the love bracelet’s symbolism.
Love Bracelet’s Symbolism
Aldo Cipullo, the Italian jewelry designer whose first designs for the love bracelets came to life in 1969, noted that his unfortunate luck inspired the design of the bracelet in love.
But even so, his bracelet’s designs were inspired by his desire to find love and to be, quite literally, locked in love with that person. And in many ways, he admits that he was inspired by the idea of men locking their lovers or wives up in chastity belts in a bid to ensure that they remained faithful.
Some may think of this as a romantic story, but many liberal minds think otherwise – well, you could bring in the whole concept of wedding rings – they serve the same purpose – modern love handcuffs. Of course, this will be a discussion topic for another time.
But back to Cipullo, he considered the bracelets he made the symbolic interpretations of loyalty to a loved one. In terms of the design, he believed and knew that the miniature screwdrivers made the bracelets unique, and the two halves of the bracelet held in place by the screws represented the perfect half of each love.
For most people who have bought the love bracelet, the rather backward symbolism it carries is not much of an issue, mainly because the bracelet is now considered to be a symbol of love and friendship rather than a modern-day love handcuff.
But as mentioned above, it is an imperfect piece. So, what are some common complaints people make about the love bracelet?
1. Sizing
This is a common challenge because if you choose a bracelet the same size as your wrist size, it would fit too snugly and even feel uncomfortable.
And for a more comfortable fit, most people recommend going a size or 1.5 (centimeters) bigger.
But most people don’t know this, and they may end up with a love bracelet that fits too tightly for anyone’s liking, which is a problem for many people.
2. Locking Mechanism
Over the years, Cartier has made adjustments to the design of the love bracelet, especially the bracelet’s locking system.
The locking system has been a big challenge, especially for individuals who own the older classic designed love bracelets, whose screws came off entirely and would get lost easily.
In addition to this, it would be unrealistic to carry the screwdriver everywhere, and if you lose it, it can be a challenge in case of emergencies.
There is also the fact that not everyone understands the locking mechanism for these bracelets. And so, even with the newer screwdriver locking mechanism for the love bracelet, having to work two ends to lock it in place is not something everyone wants to do, especially if you need to remove the bracelet frequently.
In other words, if the design of the love bracelet appeals to you, but you cannot wear jewelry to work, other than your wedding band, then this might not be the best jewelry option for the weekdays – maybe just the weekends.
The Smaller model of the love bracelet, on the other hand, only has one screw in the end and the other end is hinged, which makes for a better option if your only challenge is the screw locking mechanism on both ends.
3. Scratches
It’s also important to mention that the need to maneuver around the locking mechanism and to screw or unscrew the bracelet will leave multiple scratches on the bracelet.
And if you’re not careful, a new bracelet may look too old too soon.
4. Miniature Screwdriver
This is the other problem you will face with the love bracelet, regardless of the size or model design.
It’s easy to lose the screwdriver, yet you may need to carry it even on vacation, not to remove the bracelet, but to tighten it.
And, unfortunately, you will have to pay a small amount for a replacement screwdriver.
Pros and cons of Cartier love bracelet
Pros
- It is beautiful and looks stunning
- Elegant color options – yellow gold, rose gold, and white gold
- It comes with a cleaning kit with a polishing cloth, soft-bristled brush, and cleaning solution
- The screwdriver incorporated is mainly easy to use
- No issues traveling, and the TSA won’t ask you to take it off, as long as they know that it is there
- Older versions were made of Platinum too
- It comes with a travel pillow that keeps it safe when traveling or when you need to keep it in storage.
- The oval shape ensures more comfort.
- New designs have a more effective and reliable locking mechanism, and you won’t lose the screws because they don’t come off.
- You can sleep, shower, or swim in the love bracelet
- Depending on your wrist size and style, you can choose the thicker regular love bracelet or the thinner small bracelet.
Cons
- It’s not easy to wear it, and you need to put in extra time to wear it and take it off.
- The love bracelet is meant to be worn 24/7, but not everyone is up for the idea of wearing the love bracelet all the time.
- It might be uncomfortable if the sizing is wrong.
- Some workplaces don’t allow bracelets and other kinds of jewelry
- Expensive
- High risk of buying fakes
- It scratches easily, especially on the edges or stacking the love bracelets.
- You can lose the screwdriver easily.
- It’s not ideal for anyone who loves to take off jewelry and cannot keep it on for days on end.
Is The Cartier Love Bracelet Worth It?
The Cartier love bracelet symbolizes love, sentimentality, and art. And over the years, it has been one of the trendiest pieces of jewelry that don’t go out of style. And as a luxury brand, its high price tag kind of makes sense.
But should you drop the big bucks on a Cartier love bracelet? Well, while the bracelet’s design, make, history, sentimental value, and material make it worth the big bucks, not everyone can afford it. It might be wiser to buy non-brand gold jewelry that costs more minor in many cases.
It’s not for everyone. But if you can afford it and you like the color and design features of the love bracelet, then it’s worth it. The best part is that it is an investment with a reasonably high resale value.
So, if this may motivate you to drop several thousand on a bracelet, it will be a worthy investment that will hold some of your money for future use. And you never know, you may end up reselling it for a little more than you bought it for,
6 Reasons you should not buy a Cartier love bracelet If you are in a tight budget
1. It gets scratched very easily
Remember that the love bracelet is made of 18k gold, a very soft version of gold that is malleable and would scratch easily.
So, take this in mind, and the love bracelet is meant to stay on your wrist for extended periods; it might not be a great jewelry option for you if you are always working with your hands.
Even stacking the bracelets, which looks great, will cause scratches on the edges of the bracelet.
2. It gets in the way
If you have a baby or children, it might get in the way quickly, and your child may bump their head on it, which is not pretty.
And because it has screws and you cannot just slide it off to remove it, you must have the screwdriver with you all the time.
If in the hospital because of an emergency, it may get in the way.
3. It isn’t easy to take off or put on
Although you can try to put it on or take it off, you will need help to unscrew it most of the time. This is not always an inconvenience, but it may be one if you need it on and off often.
4. Not meant to be removed regularly
While you have the option of taking it off when you need to give it a break, the love bracelet is not the kind of jewelry that you take off and wear every day.
One, this is not the desired design and wear idea, and also the screws and the screw mechanism will weaken over time, and you may lose the screws, it will wear out too soon, and it will end up with too many scratches on the screws.
5. Not safe to travel with
Though understated, Cartier love bracelets look expensive and look like, they are made of real, high-value gold, and you may open yourself up to robbery when traveling.
So, leave it at home or put it away safely when traveling.
6. Expensive
The love bracelet is one of the most expensive bracelets on the market, which is a deterrent for most people
Conclusion
It is classy, stylish, trendy, elegant, simple, sophisticated, and a symbol of love and art appreciation, but imperfectly expensive, susceptible to scratching, and complex.
So, consider all these before buying.
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Stephanie is a jewelry lover when she was a teenager. Her major was fashion design when she was in college. She is a jewelry designer at SOQ Jewelry and other design companies. Now she is also a writer for our website. She writes a lot of designs&brands posts with very actionable tips.