ALERT: Cartier Price Increase

If you've been planning on or thinking of getting something extravagant from Cartier, you better act fast. Starting July 1st, the French jeweler will be increasing prices 10~20%, depending on the item. According to my contacts at the 5th Ave flagship, the increase will affect their much esteemed jewelry, timepiece, and bridal collections. Other accessories such as leather goods and writing instruments will soon follow suit. One of the most coveted pieces from Cartier--the LOVE bracelets--are currently priced $4,850 for yellow or pink gold and $5,200 for white gold. But you can assume these prices will change dramatically on July 1st. On a related subject, Tiffany & Co. also raised their prices (approximately 10%) on June 12th. In addition, it's rumored that prestige jeweler, Van Cleef & Arpels, will join the price hike bandwagon sometime in July.

{Image credit: Vogue Paris, August 2009}