Cartier

The restlessness that defined the counterculture of the 1960s and '70s found its way into the visual arts as well, and jewelry was no exception. While more traditional styles certainly continued, a school of jewelers came to prominence, attracting a clientele for whom artistry was paramount. Andrew Grima and Kutchinsky focused on texture and abstraction; Pol Bury explored kineticism; and Aldo Cipullo took a Duchampian, ready-made approach to many of his works, creating his now iconic LOVE bracelets dotted with screwheads and a series of nail-form jewels. The present piece is an intriguing amalgamation of 19th-century naturalism and 20th-century modernism. Oversized ruby berries rest in broad, textured collets, juxtaposed with diamond tendrils, shyly winding around the vine-form cuff. A surrealist element is introduced by the vine’s resemblance to an attenuated safety pin, suggesting a possible contribution from Cipullo. It is a prime example of the pushing of boundaries that defined the period, and a reflection of Cartier's clear commitment to its motto, never copy, only create.