Part of: Cartier Collections and History
How to Spot a Fake Cartier Love Bracelet
To spot a fake Cartier Love bracelet, check five things together: the engraving, the serial, the screws, the closure and the finish. A genuine bracelet is precise in every one of them; a copy usually slips on at least two. No single detail proves a Love bracelet is real, which is why we look at all of them. Unsure? Send photographs: we will tell you honestly what we see, whatever the answer.
Not sure about yours?
Free, no obligation, returned at our cost if you decline.
- Read our Google reviews (opens Google)
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- A reply within one working day
- Paid the same day after inspection
A bracelet built to be checked
Aldo Cipullo designed the Love bracelet for Cartier in New York in 1969: two rigid halves joined by screws and opened with a small screwdriver. That engineering is what makes it checkable. Screws, joins and engraving all have to be exact, and copies rarely get every part right.
- 1969Designed in New York
- EarlierScrews that come out
- LaterCaptive screws
- NewestOne screw and a hinge
Check yours in five steps
Open each check, compare it with your bracelet, and note anything that looks different.
- Engraving. Cartier signature, 750, serial and size, cut clean and even.
- Serial. Crisp, evenly spaced, and right for the bracelet’s era.
- Screws. Flush, aligned, and the working ones seat firmly.
- Closure. The halves meet with no step or gap.
- Finish. Even colour, sharp edges, no pitting or seams.
For every house we buy, see how we check designer jewellery.
- 1Engraving inside
- 2Serial inside
- 3Screws
- 4Closure, where the halves meet
- 5Finish
0 of 5 checked
1The inside engraving
Turn the bracelet over. A genuine Love carries the Cartier signature, the 750 gold mark, a serial number and the size. The letters are cut deep enough to catch the light and to feel with a fingernail, all at the same depth. Shallow, wobbly or uneven engraving is the most common giveaway on a copy.
- 1Cartier signature
- 2750 gold mark
- 3Serial number
- 4Size
2The serial number
Every Love bracelet has its own serial, and the style of the number has changed over the years, so it should suit the bracelet’s closure and age. Digits should be evenly sized and spaced, at the same depth as the signature. Copies often reuse a handful of real serials, so a number that turns up on many listings is a warning sign. A serial supports a genuine piece; it never proves one alone.
What a genuine one shows
Warning sign
3The screws
The screw heads run all round the bracelet as decoration, but only the ones at the joins turn. On a genuine bracelet every head is crisply cut and sits flush, and the slots line up neatly. The working screws tighten smoothly and stop firmly. On copies the heads are often shallow or misaligned, and the working screws strip, spin or never sit flush.
What a genuine one shows
Warning sign
4The closure
Close the bracelet and look along the joins. The two halves of a genuine Love meet exactly, with no step, gap or rocking. On the newest design the hinge side moves cleanly and holds firm. A screwdriver, if you have one, should fit the screw heads exactly.
Flush, no step
Step or gap
5The finish
Cartier’s gold is evenly coloured and finished all over, inside and out. The edges are sharp and the profile is even from end to end. Patchy colour, a coppery or brassy tone, pitting, casting bubbles or a visible seam all point to a copy.
Checked all five? Whatever you found, a second pair of eyes helps. Send photos of the inside engraving and both working screws for a free, honest check.
Free, no obligation, returned at our cost if you decline.
Red flags at a glance
- Engraving that is shallow, uneven or crooked.
- A serial with uneven digits, or one seen on many listings.
- Screw heads that are misaligned or not flush.
- Working screws that spin or will not seat.
- A step or gap where the halves meet.
- Patchy colour, pitting or seams.
- A box and papers that look perfect when the bracelet does not. Packaging is the easiest part to copy.
Box, certificate and screwdriver
A box, certificate and receipt support a genuine bracelet, and the certificate’s serial should match the engraving. But boxes and papers are easier to copy than the bracelet, so they never settle the question on their own. Many genuine bracelets have lost theirs, and that is no cause for doubt.
What is my Love bracelet worth?
Once it is confirmed genuine, a Love bracelet is valued on the model and size, the gold colour and any diamonds, the closure generation, its condition, whether you have the box, papers and screwdriver, and current demand. We never publish figures, because two bracelets that look alike can differ a great deal. Our Cartier Love bracelet guide covers the models and sizes in more detail. Missing the box, papers or screwdriver? We still buy it.
Free, no obligation, and returned at our cost if you decline.
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- Model and size
- Gold and diamonds
- Closure
- Condition
- Box and papers
- Demand
How selling works
- 1
Send photographs
of the inside engraving, both working screws and the closed bracelet.
- 2
Free value inspection
We reply within one working day with an estimate, subject to inspection. If our offer differs, you can decline and we return it at our cost.
- 3
Paid the same day after inspection
by bank transfer or in cash, in Mayfair, at our Braintree office, by post or by free collection.
Insured up to £10,000 per parcel when you send to us.
Questions people ask
How do I spot a fake Cartier Love bracelet?
Check the inside engraving, the serial number, the screws, the closure and the finish together. A genuine bracelet has deep, even engraving, a crisp serial, flush and aligned screw heads, halves that meet without a step, and evenly finished gold. A copy usually fails on at least two of these. No single feature proves a bracelet is genuine.
Will you still look at my bracelet if I think it might be fake?
Yes. Send clear photographs of the inside engraving, the screws and the closed bracelet, and we will tell you honestly what we see, free and with no obligation. If it is genuine and you want to sell, we can give you a free value inspection at the same time and pay the same day after inspection.
Does a box and certificate prove my Love bracelet is real?
No. A matching certificate supports a genuine bracelet, but boxes and papers are the easiest parts to copy, so they never settle it alone. The bracelet itself has to pass the checks on engraving, serial, screws, closure and finish. Many genuine Love bracelets have lost their box and papers, and we buy them all the same.
My Love bracelet is missing a screw. Is that a sign it is fake?
Not on its own. On earlier Love bracelets the screws come out completely when the bracelet is opened, so they are easily lost. A missing screw is a condition point, not proof of a copy. We check the remaining screws, the engraving and the closure, and we still buy bracelets with a screw or the screwdriver missing.
Can you authenticate my Cartier before I sell?
We check every Love bracelet we are offered: the engraving, serial, screws, closure and finish, with any box and papers. Send clear photographs of the inside engraving and the working screws and we will give you our honest view, free. This is our own inspection, not a Cartier certification, and there is no obligation to sell.
Where is the serial on a Love bracelet?
On the inside of the bracelet, engraved with the Cartier signature, the 750 gold mark and the size. It should be crisp, evenly spaced and cut to the same depth as the signature. If you have the certificate, its serial should match. A serial supports a genuine bracelet, but copies carry convincing numbers too.
Related guides
Whatever the answer, you will know.
Send a photograph of the inside engraving and the screws for a free, honest check, with no obligation.
Free, no obligation, returned at our cost if you decline.