Today, Icon-Icon will make you discover the history of a jewel as modest as it is desired – ‘Juste un Clou’ by Cartier.
How did the most illustrious jeweler of Place Vendôme manage to turn a nail into an ornament equaling the desirability of the most precious of all?
Well, the company behind the most extravagant gems in history has never ceased to be at the forefront of the creative elite of the times. And when the 1970s reshuffled the cards of what luxury and desirabilty means, Cartier, once again, beat all expectations.
We owe the ‘Juste un Clou’ jewel to Aldo Cipullo. This young Italian who immigrated to New York created two of the most revolutionary and most desired pieces from the Cartier repertoire: The Love bracelet and ‘Juste un Clou’.
‘Juste un clou’: How a simple nail became an icon of the art of jewelry
Aldo Cipullo’s daring and creative spirit was radiating with the rhythm of a modern and eminently revolutionary era. He bathed in this cultural bath which brought on new values. Aldo Cipullo was a welcome guest at Andy Warhol’s Factory, as one of his stars at the forefront of a liberation unprecedented in history!
Much like he did with the Love bracelet, Aldo Cipullo had the brilliant idea of drawing from everyday objects a jewel represents its era. In the manner of pop art, he transformed a simple nail into an ornament of absolute chic!
For Cartier, in 1971, Aldo Cipullo thus created a bracelet in the shape of a nail. This piece represents the flagship of a collection of screws and pins. “This metalware, as cold as it may appear, has a real warmth to it. A trait that is essential to jewelry,” he declared at the time to the Women’s Wear Daily. In this sense, the nail is “a reflection of life. We are surrounded by things that are screwed, bolted, nailed. And I think it cannot be otherwise. “
At Icon-Icon, we find the idea simple but brilliant. Electrified by a creative freedom influenced by Pop Art, Aldo Cipullo created a timeless icon.
Because, beyond the changing fashions and whims of the times, the ‘Clou de Cartier’ is still a highly coveted piece of jewelry today.