Cipullo’s Love bracelet, a new-age love token, became an instant best-seller. Two years later, genius struck again and—inspired by the idea of Christ-like sacrifice and laying down one’s life for a greater good—he designed the equally iconic Nail bracelet (later renamed Juste Un Clou, “just a nail”). Accompanying the Nail were other motifs including knots, bolts, screws, and wrenches. He would go on to design many collections for Cartier such as Backgammon board pendants and playing cards, riffing on the idea of love as a game of chance. Regardless of the creation, they were united, as jewelry scholar Vivienne Becker notes, by “Aldo’s instinctive talent for distilling his moment in time, the energy of New York in the late 1960s and 70s, the beating pulse and soul of the city he loved, into the purity and perfection of these minimalist masterpieces.”

In 1974, Cipullo parted ways with Cartier and dedicated himself to his own company, Aldo Cipullo Limited. The following years saw him triumph with not only jewelry designs, but diversifying into furniture and accessories as well. In 1978 he was honored by the American Gem Society, who invited him to create a collection set with gemstones native to the United States. The collection toured the country and was then acquired by the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. Cipullo had enormous dreams beyond designing jewelry and desired to create a modern movement akin to the Bauhaus. Tragically, his vision would never be realized; he died in 1984 of a double-heart attack at just 48 years old. Cipullo’s legacy, however, is alive and well. His designs for Cartier continue to be best-sellers and he is remembered fondly across the industry for his enormous influence on the development of jewelry design in the 20th century.