✨Conley 18K Love bracelet + comparison to budget version!

This has been a long-awaited purchase & a review I'm very excited to have the chance to write! Skip straight to the comparison photos if you want to play Guess the Budget Rep! (I don't think you'll find it terrible difficult!)

On to the details:

✨Seller: Non-TS Conley

Contact: Instagram: aitobuy What's app: +1 (757) 741-8577

✨Price: $1860 USD

✨My Photos

Factory photos: did not ask for any

✨PSPs

✨Authentic

✨Shipping: Free via Fedex

✨Timeline:

June 15: I contact Conley and a couple of other sellers about prices.

June 17; I pay 30% of the price, $564, via Transferwise and Conley says the bracelet will take 8 to 10 days to make

June 23: bracelet is done! I pay the remaining 70% of the price

June 26: He provides FedEx tracking

July 1st: bracelet arrives!💫🍾🥂🎉

✨Disclosure:

I am not getting any kind of discount for this review. I mentioned I might write one but Conley does not give discounts & says his price can't go any lower.

And now the review!

✨Communication and Service: 10/10

Conley communicated with me straightforwardly and never took a long time to get back to me. He always seemed on top of what I was ordering and his English is good so he had no issues understanding my questions. The fact that the bracelet was done ahead of the promised timeline is great to me. Not a super effusive seller or one to use lots of emoji and stickers, but great to work with.

Shipping: The package went from Hong Kong to Anchorage to Memphis with no indication that it was held up at customs. FedEx even cooperated this time & delivered ahead of schedule instead of putting fraudulent "attempted to deliver" notifications on the tracking info.

The bracelet was slightly camouflaged with some inexpensive items on either side of it, which could deter customs.

✨Quality: 10/10

Material: The yellow gold is the same color as other 18K pieces I own, and looks the same as the photos of auth Cartier--have not compared to authentic in person. I have not had the gold tested, but weight is correct for this size bracelet & since gold is much heavier than other metals, I think this is sufficient evidence that it's solid gold.

Craftspersonship: The bracelet is polished to a mirror shine. The finishing of the screw motif is sharp, engravings are nice and deep. The two lines at the sides where the halves connect fit precisely and cleanly and you can barely see the seam when worn. The screws function smoothly and the line on the screw is oriented horizontally (matching the screw motifs) when all the way screwed in. This is the new version so the screws are built in and can't fall out.

The bracelet feels secure. I have had it on for several days now & no sign of the screws loosening.

✨Accuracy: 9.75/10

Size: the width (about 6 mm) is correct and thickness (2mm) are correct

Size and spacing of screws looks correct.

Screws: as on authentic bracelet, the functioning screws are domed while the decorative screw motifs are flat. The screws do not overlap with the seam, as they do on some replicas, so that's correct too.

Engravings: One side has engravings on the inside with Cartier logo, copyright symbol, size, AU750 and diamond-shaped symbol. They are all there and size and typefaces look correct. This order of stamping is the same as on this authentic bracelet that an RL shared (rose gold in the photo set is authentic), but her auth has a different symbo instead of the little diamond. Other authentics do have the little diamond, but with the copyright symbol in a different place. -.25 because I don't know if any version of authentic has this exact set of engravings in this order, but I really don't care about this! Just including because it's traditional to be pedantic in these reviews😂

Sizing: My wrist measures 17 cm, I ordered 18 & the fit is perfect. My budget size 18 Love fits the same as this one, so based on that I'll say sizing is accurate.

Packaging: I requested no branded packaging. Bracelet came shrink-wrapped inside bubble wrap inside a box inside a FedEx envelope, with some cheap pieces of jewelry surrounding it for camouflage.

Weight: Google says size 18 Love should be 32.26 grams, kitchen scale says 33 grams.

✨Satisfaction: 100000/10

Thank God for AMC stock, because otherwise it would have taken me much longer to afford this bracelet! It has surpassed my expectations & I'm so thrilled every time I look at it. I really appreciated Conley's professional service & would definitely order from him again.

✨Bonus Comparison to Budget Version:

I know a lot of us have lain awake at night pondering whether to upgrade our budget Love bracelet, whether to go with mid-tier or hold out for 18K, etc. I hope this comparison can help some of you make an informed decision. I ordered this budget version from DHGate in November for a price of $11.39 plus shipping and wore it continuously for 6 or 7 months. I think the differences between it and the high-tier replica are striking:

Budget version is wider/thicker

Budget version has more rounded, less precise edges, and the tops of the screw motifs are a bit rounded while high-tier ones are flat and flush with the rest of the bracelet

Budget version has a visible gap where the two sides join--on the high-tier version it's barely visible

Budget version has flat surfaces on the functioning screws; on high-tier version it's domed

Budget version has incorrect large fonts and a mysterious alpha symbol on the inside. On the other side interior, where auth has 750 hallmark and serial number, it is blank

Budget weighs less, about 20 grams (an its volume is also higher)

Both bracelets fit correctly, have a nice oval shape & have solid construction that allow them to stay screwed on.

....so, is your budget DHGate Love bracelet passable as passable authentic as Conley or MC version? Sadly, no. But I'm left with a lot of fondness for this cheap steel bracelet. It has been through a lot with me over the past half year, it's cute, it fit me perfectly & I could have worn it for a lifetime had I so chosen. Wear them with pride!