Lately, I've been obsessing over the Cartier Love Bracelet in pink gold with multi-colored stones.
http://www.cartier.us/collections/jewelry/collections/love/love-bracelets/b6036516-love-bracelet
However, this bracelet is still around $5k outside of my budget, and it would probably be at least another three years before I could save for it, provided that I buy absolutely no other jewelry in the meantime... I haven't found a pre-loved / pre-owned one at all on today's market, and I'm not even 100% certain what my correct size would be (my wrist is 6" at the widest point measured on the wrist bone).
So, I was wondering: Out of the $7,800. price tag... How much do you think is labor/materials and how much of that price tag is the Cartier name?
If the label doesn't matter to me, and the Cartier version isn't in my middle-class budget, do you think a local jeweler could reproduce something similar at a price within my budget? I like the overall style of the Cartier LOVE, but for me it doesn't have to be Cartier. I just want a similar design, similar size, comfortable bracelet with rainbow sapphires bezel-set into the bracelet, like Cartier has done with the LOVE. (Honestly, I've wanted a rainbow sapphire bracelet since high school, but the ones that were "fashionable" in the 90's were the rainbow sapphire tennis bracelets.)
Granted, I would absolutely LOVE a Cartier LOVE, but I doubt that this version will be around long enough for me to save up for it, and something always seems to come up, whether it be new tires for the car or a large vet bill for the dog... I'm starting to wonder if I should just look into a local jeweler to make one for me? (Of course, I couldn't use my usual jeweler because his work is usually on the expensive side of the spectrum... but you get what you pay for, I guess...)
Opinions, please?
http://www.cartier.us/collections/jewelry/collections/love/love-bracelets/b6036516-love-bracelet
However, this bracelet is still around $5k outside of my budget, and it would probably be at least another three years before I could save for it, provided that I buy absolutely no other jewelry in the meantime... I haven't found a pre-loved / pre-owned one at all on today's market, and I'm not even 100% certain what my correct size would be (my wrist is 6" at the widest point measured on the wrist bone).
So, I was wondering: Out of the $7,800. price tag... How much do you think is labor/materials and how much of that price tag is the Cartier name?
If the label doesn't matter to me, and the Cartier version isn't in my middle-class budget, do you think a local jeweler could reproduce something similar at a price within my budget? I like the overall style of the Cartier LOVE, but for me it doesn't have to be Cartier. I just want a similar design, similar size, comfortable bracelet with rainbow sapphires bezel-set into the bracelet, like Cartier has done with the LOVE. (Honestly, I've wanted a rainbow sapphire bracelet since high school, but the ones that were "fashionable" in the 90's were the rainbow sapphire tennis bracelets.)
Granted, I would absolutely LOVE a Cartier LOVE, but I doubt that this version will be around long enough for me to save up for it, and something always seems to come up, whether it be new tires for the car or a large vet bill for the dog... I'm starting to wonder if I should just look into a local jeweler to make one for me? (Of course, I couldn't use my usual jeweler because his work is usually on the expensive side of the spectrum... but you get what you pay for, I guess...)
Opinions, please?
