“Juste un clou” by Cartier

Coiled up close to the face for maximum impact, the “Juste un clou” gold torque flaunts its rebel credentials with a powerful statement of allegiance to the tribe.

The “Juste un clou” bracelet was created by aldo cipullo for Cartier New York in the 1970s. His outrageous appropriation of the nail as jewellery echoed the anti-conformist sentiment of the era.

A nail as jewellery! And now, the raw energy and stark chic of the humble piece of hardware re-purposed by Cartier has been hammered into a necklace.

The “Juste un clou” torque brings the finishing touch to a well-rounded collection that features the necklace in a choice of yellow gold, pink gold, white gold or paved with diamonds, as well as an oversized bracelet. The pieces magnify the precious qualities of everyday objects in a sublime take on the ordinary.

When the Ordinary becomes Precious

Nuts and nails*: The jeweller’s revelations in design

When everyday items are appropriated as an adornment and a simple nail or nut becomes jewellery, the ordinary becomes precious.

Only the imagination of the jeweller is capable of perceiving such hidden beauty. The geometric perfection of a design is revealed in the shaft of a nail or the octagonal head of a nut.

With “Juste un Clou”, Cartier went one step further. The first Nail bracelet was created by Aldo Cipullo for Cartier New York in the 1970s. His radical appropriation of the nail as jewellery echoed the anti-conformist state of mind of the era.

Returning to this audacious spirit in 2017 Cartier has created the Écrou bracelet and the “Juste un Clou” torque necklace.

Visual performance by artist Cerise Doucède inspired by Cartier’s “Juste un Clou” and “Écrou” de Cartier

Thirty-year-old Cerise Doucède is an artist and photographer. Since her breakthrough exhibition at the Rencontres d’Arles photography festival she has exhibited at the Brussels Art Fair, and in São Paolo, Milan and Tokyo. In her freeze-frame photography, time comes to a standstill and everyday objects appear to levitate.

She casts her unusual eye on Cartier bracelets with a pair of suspended works. Entirely composed of nails and nuts that number in the thousands and are bound together by transparent wires, these two pieces float in mid-air, serving to magnify the artistic value of the humble hardware of which they are formed.

*In French, écrous and clous