TRR Top 5: Cartier Bracelets & More Jewelry With The Best Resale Value
Can you really put a price on love? When it comes to Cartier’s LOVE bracelets and other iconic jewelry, the answer is yes. Cartier has been in the business of making investment pieces since 1847, and there’s a lot of expert craftsmanship, fine materials and time-honored techniques that go into the house’s beloved jewelry. Cartier has a cachet all its own, with Cartier bracelets proving time and again to be the brand’s most coveted creation. After all, the highest-selling jewelry piece of the year was a Cartier bracelet, selling in an online sale for over $1.3 million.
The more standard Cartier jewelry pieces may not be studded with emeralds, sapphires, rubies and diamonds, but that doesn’t make them any less luxurious — or any less valuable when it comes to re-selling. Jewelry devotees who are in the habit of replacing their Cartier bracelets with brand new iterations may be wondering — what is my Cartier actually worth? And which pieces will give me the biggest ROI if I consign? To answer this question, we dove into our exclusive data to find out which Cartier collections hold the highest resale value. Read on to discover the origins of your favorite designs, with tips on authenticity and what to sell now from TRR Associate Fine Jewelry & Watch Nadine Schimmelpenninck. And once you raid your jewelry box for top-earning Cartier bracelets and rings, don’t forget to give your pieces a quick polish and book a free valuation appointment to learn how we price.
5. Cartier Trinity de Cartier
Cartier Trinity Diamond Earrings; Cartier Trinity Necklace; Cartier Vintage Trinity Constellation Ring
The Resale Stats: Cartier Trinity pieces can hold an average resale value up to 82%.
The Story Behind The Collection: What happens when an artist-cum-poet-cum-filmmaker partners with a fine jeweler? Trinity de Cartier. In 1924, Jean Cocteau, a close friend of Louis Cartier, designed the “three-ring,” a single piece that featured bands in yellow, white and rose gold, representing love, fidelity and friendship. Though the ring debuted as Art Deco began to take off, the style’s geometric lines are nowhere to be found. Cocteau did, however, pull from the clean, streamlined aesthetic with minimal, overlapping bands. The ring moves effortlessly, gliding onto the finger without resistance. The collection has since expanded to include everything from necklaces and earrings to cufflinks, clocks and pens, and was formally dubbed Trinity in 1998.
What You Should Sell Now: “The original Cartier Trinity ring is timeless, and one of the collection’s most popular pieces,” says Schimmelpenninck. “Cartier Trinity de Cartier earrings have become staples in many jewelry boxes as they carry so well from day to night, and to almost any occasion. And for people whose exclusively look for diamonds, the Vintage Diamond Constellation Trinity ring and Cartier Diamond Classic Trinity ring are super luxe takes on the classic design, and are incredibly in demand.”
How To Spot The Real Deal: “Cartier’s Trinity rings have been produced for many years, and many subtle differences exist between the same jewelry pieces over time,” Schimmelpenninck notes. “To determine when a piece was produced, we first look at the signature and serial number. Cartier Trinity pieces from the 1980s and earlier would be considered vintage, and many signatures should be hand-engraved, with rounder text, or in all caps.”
“Currently, there are four Cartier Trinity ring sizes in production,” adds Schimmelpenninck. “The bands on these rings have exact measurements for the band width, and authentic pieces should always follow these standards: the extra small ring measuring 1.5mm, the small measuring 2.9mm, the classic measuring 3.5mm and the large measuring 5.4mm.”
4. Cartier Panthère de Cartier
Cartier Panthère de Cartier 18K Diamond Charm; Cartier Panthère de Cartier Bracelet; Cartier Panthère de Cartier Diamond Earrings
The Resale Stats: Cartier Panthère de Cartier jewelry holds a resale value up to 89%, on average.
The Story Behind The Collection: Panthère de Cartier, like many of the brand’s offerings, has deep roots in amour. The first panther motif in Cartier’s oeuvre debuted on a watch in 1914, but it was not until Jean Toussaint entered the picture that the panther motif really began to take shape. In 1917, Louis Cartier gifted Toussaint, his lover, a panther-accented vanity case. Toussaint — nicknamed “La Panthère” by Cartier himself — later joined the house’s creative team, and the panther figured heavily in her jewelry designs. Toussaint imparted more glamour into the motif, and in 1935 Cartier released its first-ever Panthère jewelry piece: a gold and enamel ring. The panther truly came to life in 1948, however, when the Duke of Windsor commissioned a brooch, featuring a three-dimensional panther with emerald eyes, for his wife. Panthère de Cartier became de rigueur in high society circles, and in 1952 the first Panthère de Cartier bracelet, rendered in diamonds and onyx, was created — again for the Duchess of Windsor.
What You Should Sell Now: “While the Panthère de Cartier watch is a top-selling timepiece,” explains Schimmelpenninck, “in the jewelry realm, the Panthère collection doesn’t have one singular piece that is most popular. The majority of Panthère pieces are equally coveted. However, Panthère earrings will always sell fast.”
How To Spot The Real Deal: “If the Panthère de Cartier piece features green panther’s eyes, they should always be made of emeralds or tsavorite garnets,” says Schimmelpenninck. “And like any other Cartier piece (with the exception of a few older 20th century styles), Panthère jewelry should be 18K gold, sterling or platinum.”
3. Amulette de Cartier
Cartier Amulette de Cartier Earrings; Cartier Amulette de Cartier Necklace; Cartier Amulette de Cartier Bracelet
The Resale Stats: Amulette de Cartier pieces can hold an average resale value up to 93%.
The Story Behind The Collection: Lucky charms, talismans, wishes… this is the inspiration behind Amulette de Cartier. The collection debuted in 2014 with pieces featuring a variety of gemstones; in today’s offerings, onyx, mother of pearl, lapis lazuli, carnelian and malachite all make an appearance. Each circular pendant resembles a padlock — designed “to hold luck and unlock your wishes,” according to Cartier — and features a small cutout with a cabochon at the center.
What You Should Sell Now: “Unlike the LOVE, Juste un Clou and Trinity collections, which have mainly consisted of bracelets and rings, Amulette de Cartier gives necklaces center stage for the first time,” says Schimmelpenninck. “The Cartier Amulette de Cartier necklace is without a doubt the most desirable piece from this collection. Diamonds enhance its resale value, and this collection is so in demand that Amulette de Cartier pieces sell very close to retail on the secondary market — and fast.”
How To Spot The Real Deal: “Cartier uses only the finest stones for all of their jewelry,” explains Schimmelpenninck. “Quality and positioning on Cartier Amulette pieces should be precise and on point. Plus, counterfeit versions will often have lower-quality diamonds, or enamel instead of onyx and carnelian.”
2. Cartier LOVE
Cartier LOVE Bracelet; Cartier LOVE Earrings; Cartier LOVE Bracelet With One Diamond
The Resale Stats: On average, Cartier LOVE pieces hold up to 94% of their resale value.
The Story Behind The Collection: The Cartier LOVE bracelet’s story begins with one man: its designer, Aldo Cipullo. Working in Cartier’s New York workshops, Cipullo designed the bracelet to be an everlasting symbol of love. A bit scandalously, the LOVE bracelet was modeled to resemble a medieval chastity belt, complete with screw accents, and required a screwdriver to unlock its clasp. While its actual inspiration may have been less than progressive, the bracelet itself spoke to equality: the bracelet was designed to be worn by anyone of any gender, and especially to be worn by couples together. It’s rumored that LOVE bracelets were so popular and common in New York City that, for a time, hospitals actually kept the bracelet’s accompanying screwdriver on hand in case patients needed them unattached (and kept intact).
What You Should Sell Now: Cartier LOVE bracelets, necklaces and earrings hold consistently high resale value on The RealReal, and diamonds are always in demand. The better the condition, the more appealing to shoppers, so consider consigning diamond LOVE pieces with little to no signs of wear.
How To Spot The Real Deal: “If your Cartier LOVE bracelet has diamonds, they should be of the highest quality,” notes Schimmelpenninck. “Some counterfeits will use crystals or other fake stones in place of the diamonds. They should also be visible from the inside of the bracelet via hexagonal cutouts.”
1. Cartier Juste un Clou
Cartier Juste un Clou Bracelet; Cartier Juste un Clou Diamond Ring; Cartier Juste un Clou Diamond Bracelet
The Resale Stats: Cartier Juste un Clou comes in first place, and holds a resale value up to 97% on average.
The Story Behind The Style: Though “Juste un Clou” may mean “just a nail,” the quirky, minimalist Cartier collection excels at elevating the everyday. The Juste un Clou bracelet was Italian jewelry designer Aldo Cipullo’s second blockbuster bracelet for the house, and arrived hot on the heels of the LOVE bracelet. Cipullo headed to the hardware store and envisioned transforming a single nail into wearable art (perhaps after picking up the screwdriver inspiration for the LOVE bracelet’s closure). Thus, the Juste un Clou bracelet was born. Since its inception, it has been adorned with diamonds, fashioned in rose, yellow and white gold, and interpreted as earrings, rings and necklaces. The collection was officially refreshed and re-launched in 2012.
What You Should Sell Now: “The Juste un Clou bracelet continues to be a popular seller on TRR,” says Schimmelpenninck. “Cartier recently released a new collection of Juste un Clou pieces with necklaces, rings and bracelets in yellow, pink and white gold, some with diamond details at the nailhead and others completely pavéd with diamonds. This has created a bit of renewed buzz. I recommend consigning any diamond-accented Juste un Clou piece if you’re no longer loving it.”
How To Spot The Real Deal: “One of the things we look for when authenticating Juste un Clou bracelets is the closure,” explains Schimmelpenninck. “Pre-2017 Cartier Juste un Clou bracelets should have a keyhole closure; any Juste un Clou bracelet produced after 2017 should have a round closure.”
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