There is no denying that Cartier is one of the most exclusive names in the world of luxury jewellery.
Although the fine jeweler – which is stocked at high-end retailers such as Harrods and Selfridges – is known to sell bracelets worth up to £395,000, it is their ‘Love’ collection that has achieved cult status in the fashion world .
Over the years, celebrities including Khloe Kardashian, Hailey Bieber and Kylie Jenner, who was only 15 when she got her ring, have been spotted wearing the classic engraved gold band – which starts at £1k.
Earlier this month, TikTok user Savannah Mukesh went viral after her designer ring was priced out by a local jeweler – who claimed it contained only £115 worth of gold.
Cartier Love wedding bands start from £1,000. TikTok user Savannah Mukesh went viral this month after she got her ring priced at a London jeweler
The social media star says she ‘begged’ her boyfriend to buy her an expensive ring for her 28th birthday.
Savannah’s videos have been viewed over 1.7 million times. She told onlookers it would ‘break the heart of the owner of the Cartier ring’
In her video, which has been viewed over 1.7 million times, Savannah revealed how she ‘begged’ her boyfriend to buy her a designer ring for her 28th birthday last year.
Filming herself getting ready for a shopping trip, the social media star said: ‘My mum has gone absolutely berserk because she’s smarter and less influenced by brands.’
Before her 29th birthday, Savannah told how her mother decided to buy her a ring that was ‘literally worth its weight in gold’.
Vlogging her shopping experience, the TikToker – who has 61,300 followers – filmed herself visiting an Indian-owned jewelery store in London with her mother and boyfriend.
Left: Savannah’s mother bought her this 10 gram gold ring for her upcoming 29th birthday. Right: Savannah’s mother said she wanted to buy her something that would be ‘worth its weight in gold’. TikToker showing off her Cartier ring before going into the shop
While they were picking out a new 10 gram gold ring, Savannah handed over her designer ring – which weighs 3.4 grams – to the store owner.
She continued: ‘The man in the shop weighed my Cartier ring while we were there and told me its gold value. […]
‘It cost £1,080 to buy but its gold is worth, wait for it, £115. Oh my god, I’m so sorry boyfriend!’
But while the video stunned TikTok’s audience, professional jeweler Alice Friedman told Femel that the shop owner’s claims were incredibly misleading.
He explained: ‘The gold price the jeweler is referring to is the scrap price of 18K gold multiplied by 3.4 grams for that particular day (and indeed that particular minute).
‘So it would be if you wanted quick cash and you went to Hatton Gardens knowing it would be melted down and recycled. This would also apply to things like the metal value of the gold in the Imperial Crown; A gold has value, but it is not prized by any means.
‘It is also not in line with what jewelers manufacturing has been paying for gold.’ Junkyards pay less, then refine the metal, and sell it back to the jewelery industry at a higher price.’
Hailey Bieber pictured wearing a silver Cartier Love Ring in January 2016
Kylie Jenner photographed wearing two gold Cartier rings. ‘Love’ bands start at £1k
That said, Ellis estimated that the ring probably cost up to £300 just to make – but that doesn’t include the high-quality packaging and overhead.
She said: ‘The luxury brand clearly enhances the value attached to the piece. Similarly to say, Louis Vuitton, no one would think that a bag has £2,000 of leather, however there is an association with luxury, design, craftsmanship (which is in Switzerland for Cartier), packaging, stores, etc. Logistics and Operations, Solicitors who help them weed out counterfeits.
‘I think the third point is to remember that the high and classy jewelery industry is really trying to make jewelery worth more than its weight in gold!’
What’s more, jewelry expert James Constantinou debunks the claims — and says you can’t overlook the value of a designer name.
Highlighting the designer’s eye-watering price tag, the expert who set up Prestige Pawnbrokers said: ‘When you put the stamp Cartier on something, it has more to do with the brand and more to do with the gold or the weight of the jewelry. There is no relation whatsoever. This.
‘This shop is only weighing the value of gold without proper understanding of major brand names, which have a lot of value in the secondary market. They are weighing the Cartier ring the same way as any other gold ring.
‘The same would apply for other major brands like Tiffany, Bulgari, Van Cleef and Arpels where you pay for the craftsmanship and the brand name. Ignoring the weight, the quality is far better than these leading brands.’
Referring to Cartiers being ‘easily resold’, James said that Cartier owners can expect to get ’50 to 70 percent of the original price back’ if they choose to sell.
He continued: ‘As soon as the certified branded stamp is on an item, the value immediately increases. [Ignore the weight and take into] Consider the craftsmanship and quality materials used.’
Famel has contacted Cartier for comment.
