A genuine Cartier Love bracelet is solid 18k gold or platinum, engraved inside with "Cartier", the purity mark "750" or "Au750", a size number and a serial number, and closed with a small screw system that turns smoothly and sits flush. A classic yellow gold Love bracelet in a mid size weighs roughly 30-36 grams. As of late 2026, a used yellow, rose or white gold classic Love bracelet without diamonds resells for roughly $5,500-7,500, and the small model for roughly $3,500-5,000. Even the gold alone in a classic bracelet is worth about $3,000 at $4,000 gold, which is why weight and a metal test are so useful. Copies, which are sold by the hundred thousand, are usually plated steel or brass and are worth from a few dollars to about $50.
The Love is probably the most copied piece of fine jewelry in the world, and the better copies get the screw heads and the engraving close. What they almost never get right is the metal. So the honest order of checks is: weight and metal first, then the screws and engraving, then a specialist.
Quick answer
- Real Love bracelets are 18k gold or platinum. A classic yellow gold one weighs about 30-36 grams depending on size.
- Inside: "Cartier", "750" or "Au750", the size, and a serial, all crisp and evenly engraved.
- Screws should be flush, evenly spaced, with clean slots, and the closing screws should turn smoothly.
- Used values, as of late 2026: classic gold about $5,500-7,500; small model about $3,500-5,000; diamond versions more.
- Only Cartier or a specialist authenticator settles it. Photos show consistency, not proof.
How to check a Cartier Love bracelet, step by step
- Weigh it. Use a kitchen or jewelry scale that reads to a tenth of a gram. A classic yellow gold Love in a common size like 16 or 17 weighs roughly 30-36 grams; smaller sizes are lighter, larger ones heavier, and the small model is much lighter. A bracelet of classic width that weighs 15-20 grams is very unlikely to be solid gold.
- Test the metal. A jeweler can test it with acid or, better, with an XRF analyzer that leaves no mark. Plated copies show base metal or a thin gold layer. See how to tell if gold is real for the methods.
- Read the inside engraving. A genuine bracelet carries "Cartier", "750" or "Au750" for gold (or "PT950" for platinum), the size, and a serial number. Older pieces may also carry a copyright line with a date. Vintage bracelets from the early years, when the design by Aldo Cipullo was new, can carry his name. The engraving should be clean, evenly spaced and deep enough to feel with a fingernail.
- Look at the screw heads. The screw motifs around the bracelet should be perfectly round, the same size, evenly spaced, and set flush. The slot in each should be centered and straight. On copies the heads are often slightly raised, uneven, or stamped with blurry slots.
- Check the closing screws. Two of the screw motifs are working screws. They should turn smoothly with the little screwdriver and seat cleanly. On newer bracelets Cartier uses a captive system that keeps the screws from falling out. Rough, gritty, or loose screws are a warning sign.
- Check the join. When closed, the two halves should meet with a fine, even line and no gap or step. The inside should be polished and smooth.
- Look at the color. Genuine 18k gold has a warm, even tone with no copper or gray showing at worn edges. Plating that has rubbed through on the edges or around screws gives a copy away quickly.
- Price it from sold results at established resale stores, for the same metal, size and diamond count.
Old and new Love bracelets
The Love bracelet was designed by Aldo Cipullo for Cartier in 1969 and has been made ever since, with small changes that matter when you look at an older piece. Early bracelets can carry a copyright date and the designer's name, and the engraving style differs from today's. Older bracelets use loose screws that can back out and get lost, which is why many vintage pieces have had screws replaced by Cartier over the years. Newer bracelets use a captive screw system in which the screws stay attached. A vintage bracelet with an older screw style is not a warning sign; a bracelet that claims to be new but has old-style details, or the reverse, is worth a second look.
What genuine Love bracelets resell for
Approximate used values in good condition, as of late 2026. Figures are drawn from resale listings, dealer guides and price trackers rather than one clean sales database, so treat them as ranges. Retail prices have risen several times since 2023 and current boutique prices are above these figures.
| Bracelet | Typical used value, as of late 2026 |
|---|---|
| Classic Love, yellow, rose or white gold, no diamonds | About $5,500-7,500 |
| Small model Love, gold, no diamonds | About $3,500-5,000 |
| Love cuff, gold | About $4,000-6,000 |
| Classic Love with 4 diamonds | Roughly $8,000-11,000 |
| Classic Love with 10 diamonds | Roughly $11,000-16,000 |
| Pavé diamond Love | Much higher; priced piece by piece |
| Gold content alone, classic, about 31 g of 18k | About $3,000 at $4,000 gold |
| Plated copy | A few dollars to about $50 |
The gold line is a useful floor. A genuine classic Love bracelet does not sell below its gold value for long, so an offer under about $3,000 for a real one is far too low, and an asking price of a few hundred dollars for a "real" one is a sign it is not.
Signs that matter, and how much they matter
| Detail | Consistent with genuine | Warning sign |
|---|---|---|
| Weight, classic, mid size | Roughly 30-36 g | Under about 25 g |
| Metal test | 18k gold or platinum | Base metal, plated layer, steel |
| Engraving | "Cartier", 750 or Au750, size, serial, crisp | Shallow, blurry, misspelled, no serial |
| Screw heads | Round, flush, even, centered slots | Raised, uneven, smudged |
| Closing screws | Smooth, precise | Gritty, loose, stripping |
| Edges | Even gold color | Gray or copper showing through |
| Serial | Unique, checked by Cartier | Same number seen across many listings |
Common mistakes
- Trusting a box, pouch and papers. These are sold separately online and often come with fakes. A box adds value to a real bracelet but proves nothing.
- Treating a serial as proof. Copy makers reuse a small set of real serials. A serial is meaningful only when checked by Cartier or a specialist.
- Skipping the scale. Weight is the easiest test and catches most copies. A real 18k bracelet feels dense.
- Using a magnet as the only test. Gold is not magnetic, but neither is brass or many stainless alloys, so passing the magnet test means little.
- Assuming scratches mean a fake. Love bracelets are worn every day and scratch easily. Wear is normal; plating wear that shows a different metal underneath is not.
- Confusing similar designs with copies. Many brands sell screw-motif bangles under their own names. Those are not fakes; they are a different product with a different value.
How WorthPic reads Love bracelet photos
WorthPic runs on the newest and most capable AI model available, tuned for exactly this kind of identification. From your photos it reads the model (classic, small, cuff), the gold color, any diamonds and how many, the shape and spacing of the screw heads, the fit of the join, and what it can see of the inside engraving: the brand, the purity mark, the size and the serial. If you include a photo of the bracelet on a scale, it reads the weight. It describes whether those details look consistent with genuine Cartier work, inconsistent, or unclear, and gives a value range for a genuine piece and, where it fits, for a copy.
What it cannot know from a photo is the metal inside, how the screws feel, the depth of the engraving, or whether a serial is a copied one. It identifies and estimates. It does not authenticate, grade or appraise, and it says plainly when the next step is a jeweler's test or Cartier itself.
What to photograph
- The bracelet closed, flat on a plain background in daylight.
- The inside engraving in macro, lit from the side, with every mark readable.
- Two or three screw heads close up, straight on.
- The join, where the two halves meet.
- The bracelet on a digital scale, with the reading visible.
- The edges, where plating wear on a copy usually shows first.
When to get it looked at in person
Any bracelet that weighs right and tests as 18k gold is worth a proper opinion. Cartier boutiques can examine a bracelet and arrange servicing for a genuine one, and service records from Cartier are the closest thing to a definitive answer. Established resale stores such as Fashionphile and The RealReal test the metal and examine every piece before buying, so a firm offer from one is a strong signal. For insurance, use a qualified independent appraiser. For other pieces in the same jewelry box, see our guides to Van Cleef & Arpels, Tiffany jewelry and reading jewelry hallmarks.