2024 rating and value of Cartier gold lighters

If you own a Cartier lighter and would like to know its value, our state-approved experts and auctioneers will offer you their appraisal services. Our specialists will carry out a free appraisal of your piece, and provide you with a precise estimate of its value on today's market. Then, if you wish to sell your work, we'll guide you towards the best possible arrangement to obtain the optimum price. Their value can vary according to the material: if it's gold-plated, steel or lacquer, the second-hand market is more likely to increase the value of your object. If, on the other hand, it's gold, it's best to put it up for auction.

Rating and value of Cartier lighters

Cartier lighters are very popular items at auction. They are collected by bidders of all nationalities. Nowadays, prices for these objects can rise considerably under the auctioneer's hammer. Gold lighters are particularly popular, with buyers from all over the world. The price at which they sell on the art market currently ranges from €15 to €5,500 - a considerable difference, but one that says a lot about the value that can be attributed to these objects. In 2023, a rectangular yellow gold lighter sold for €5,500, originally estimated at between €3,500 and €4,500. 

Order of value from a simple work to the most prestigious

Style and technique of Cartier lighters 

Cartier lighters are often made in gold- or silver-plated metal. Some are also available in Chinese lacquer or imitation tortoiseshell. The most widely distributed are those in gilded metal, followed by lighters in vermeil-colored Chinese lacquer, reminiscent of Cartier's corporate color.

However, the company also produced gold lighters, sometimes set with precious stones, interesting to present at auction and always prized by collectors.

Reasons to auction a Cartier lighter

Cartier gold lighters are timeless pieces that are very popular on the auction market. Often seen in auction rooms, these objects are not lost on collectors, who can use them to obtain pieces no longer sold by Cartier.

History of Cartier lighters

Cartier, taken over by Louis-François Cartier in 1847, originally designed and marketed the first wristwatches for men, designed for aviation, as Louis Cartier himself was a pilot.

The company was taken over by his heirs, and numerous creations were born before the lighters: Tank watch, exchange of the Hope diamond to acquire the Cartier boutique on 5th Avenue in New York, diplomatic gifts, creation of the crash watch...

That same year, 1968, when the House created a diamond snake necklace for Mexican actress Maria Felix, Cartier granted Robert Hocq a license to create lighters, originally designed in an oval shape, with a retractable knob. Later, Cartier would develop the lighter with original Cartier creations, such as the Trinity ring, the panther, the Santos lighter and the Vendôme lighter.   

This object is discreet and elegant, with no distinctive Cartier iconography except on the logotype lighter.

Recognizing an original Cartier lighter

The counterfeit market is becoming increasingly strong in the manufacture of all kinds of dupes, including luxury homewares such as lighters. On online platforms, the resale of these items is steadily increasing, and many customers are being tricked. That's why, even if there are techniques for recognizing a genuine Cartier lighter, such as looking at the signature (which can also be counterfeit), it's essential if you think you own a valuable (gold) lighter to have it appraised to date it and be sure of its authenticity.

Know the true value of your lighter  

If you happen to own a Cartier lighter, or think you might, don't hesitate to request a free appraisal using the form on our website. A member of our team of experts and chartered auctioneers will contact you promptly with an estimate of your scarf's market value, and provide you with all the relevant information. If you'd like to sell your work, our specialists will also be on hand to offer you alternatives for selling it at the best possible price, taking into account market trends.