I remember counting the Cartier Love bracelets stacked on Kylie Jenner’s wrist almost a decade ago. The opulence was overwhelming. The idea of permanently locking jewellery onto myself felt bizarre. Despite the fact, I had worn the same pair of earrings for, well, years.
The iconic Cartier bracelet can set you back anywhere from €7,000 to €11,000, making it out of reach for the majority of people. Permanent jewellery isn’t a foreign concept though. When I was a baby my mother bought me a gold bangle that, in theory, should have remained on my arm forever.
It was a pretty common thing for 90s babies, so I’ve heard. I even went to secondary school with a girl who still hers intact on her wrist. Mine had snapped when I was a toddler. My mam still has it somewhere!
But in recent years, the idea of permanent jewellery has become more and more popular. And more accessible to the everyday person (sorry Kylie!). In fact, the amount of people watching videos about the concept has increased by 281% over the last year, with 62K people searching the term on TikTok.
Videos of people heading to fancy jewellers in New York to get a bracelet attached to their arms amass millions of views. Some go with their significant others to get matching bracelets, others with their parents or siblings to get jewellery rather than tattoos. It’s permanent but not body-altering.
My TikTok is covered in people getting permanent anklets with their best friends as they mark the perfect year together. The next swipe will see a loved-up couple getting matching bracelets and the next will see a trio of siblings getting necklaces welded onto their bodies. In fact, my friend arrived home from holidays this summer with her own permanent bracelet on and it only set her back €50!
With the popularity of the bling on the rise, the jewellery industry realised that it needed to become more accessible. You don’t have to pay several months wages to afford a bracelet and you don’t have to travel the globe to get one. I got my bracelet attached in Dylan Oakes in Dublin.
I arrived soaking wet from a cloudburst thinking that I would have to sit with my arm outstretched for hours. When I was brought to pick out my chain (€200) and my charms (€30 each) I was expecting a lot of waiting around.
But it was as if I blinked and suddenly I had a piece of jewellery attached to me forever. The actual creation of the bracelet and welding process took less than 15 minutes then I was off on my merry way.
Buyer’s remorse is a serious thing. Even more serious when it comes to something that will live on you forever. Did I pick the right chain? Would I still like the charms I chose in a year? Well, unless I change my first name, I think B is a pretty solid choice.
Then it came to my first challenge – showering. I know plenty of people shower with their jewellery on. I am not one of them. Wearing my bracelet felt, well, weird. But by the end of my wash, I didn’t even notice that it was there.
My next adventure was the airport. I had been assured that the bracelet would not set anything off. And once again, I have worn earrings, necklaces and rings through airport security. I don’t know why my palms started to get sweaty when I walked through the metal detector.
I can take all the rest of the jewellery off I suppose. But the bracelet, well, that’s literally welded on! Of course, I had nothing to worry about. Why would I have?
I also thought I’d get annoyed by a bracelet constantly on my wrist. And maybe I will. But as a lazy girl, it’s the perfect way to always have at least one piece of jewellery on without having to go searching for one!
I’ve even been assured that if I need to undergo surgery or get an MRI that the bracelet can stay on. And if I do want to take it off, that’s okay too. All you need to do is take a pair of scissors to where the bracelet has been welded together and it will break. If I want it reattached, that’s also possible! So permanent… but on your own terms.
And sure I’ve gotten some raised eyebrows when I tell people that the bracelet is there ‘forever’. But it’s becoming more and more accessible. And if TikTok is anything to go by, it looks like this trend is here to stay, even if it can in fact be removed with some scissors!
This article originally appeared in the December 2023 issue of STELLAR magazine.
