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Van Cleef & Arpel Ballerine Clips and Watches

 

Yesterday, Van Cleef & Arpel unveiled their new Ballerine Clips and also showcased some of their beautiful watches and museum Ballerina pieces during the press event at St Regis.

A press release of the Ballerine Clips and some photographs of pieces displayed yesterday.

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Van Cleef & Arpels lifts the curtain on its latest choreography - bejewelled clips that capture the grace and savoir-faire of a signature theme: dance.

The new Van Cleef & Arpels High Jewelry creations take inspiration from the art of ballet, a motif that has twirled through the history of the Parisian Maison. Recently unveiled, the two ballerine-shaped clips capture the elegance of dancers through meticulous craftsmanship, bringing to life the Place Vendôme jeweler’s spirit of poetic beauty.



Ballerine Clip I
This dazzling piece pays homage to the ballerina dancing en pointe, the delicate white silhouette evoking lightness and agility.  A rose-cut diamond depicts her visage, while a headband of blue sapphires alludes to the headdresses often worn by Van Cleef & Arpels’ feminine figures since the 1940s.

White gold is skilfully worked to form a most intricate costume, transforming the precious metal into a tutu’s lightweight layers and details. Through a precise selection of round diamonds and blue sapphires by the Maison’s gemologists, the tiers and folds of the dress are accentuated to convey three-­?dimensional fullness.
Finally, five intense blue sapphires top off each of the ballerina’s precious shoes.





Ballerine Clip II
Another newly unveiled piece celebrates the elegance of a dancer in fluid movement. White gold is sculpted to represent a delicate fondu movement, during which the ballerina’s body is gracefully lowered by bending her legs. A single rose-­cut diamond is delicately set to portray the dancer’s face, which is sharply contrasted by a headdress of baguette-­?cut black spinels.

In keeping with Van Cleef & Arpels’ tradition of black and white High Jewelry, this clip is the last word in simple sophistication. The airy, voluminous tutu worn by the dancer is enhanced by round black spinels in an array of sizes,specially customised to illustrate the gossamer-like texture of the costume. Dazzling round diamonds then peek from the underskirt and adorn the tight bodice, which emphasises the ballerina’s poise. As the perfect finishing touch, rows of baguette-­?cut diamonds embellish the soles of the ballet shoes.




Pirouette back in time
Van Cleef & Arpels has long turned to dance as a source of inspiration. The Maison’s first ballerine clips were created in the 1940s in New York at the prompting of Louis Arpels - a great ballet and opera lover. Caught in a variety of dance poses, their feminine silhouettes were gracefully attired in sparkling costumes made of diamonds and precious stones.

Another member of the family, Louis’ nephew Claude Arpels, further reinforced the duet between dance and jewelry when he met choreographer George Balanchine, co-founder of the New York City Ballet. Their shared passion for gems blossomed into a partnership that produced Balanchine’s ballet Jewels, first performed in New York in April 1967. For years to come, various creations capturing the postures of dancers in gold and precious stones became a signature of Van Cleef & Arpels. Today, these enduring affinities have inspired new collaborations in the field of dance, including a long-term partnership with L.A Dance Project - the collective founded by the French choreographer Benjamin Millepied.

This message has been edited by Kong on 2014-07-24 07:45:20

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