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Lot Essay
Since its earliest years, Van Cleef & Arpels has drawn profound inspiration from the art of dance. The firm’s relationship with ballet began in the 1920s, when Louis Arpels, an ardent admirer of the art form, would frequently attend performances at the Opéra Garnier, along with his nephew Claude. The two immersed themselves in the grace and elegance of ballet, a poetry of motion that would later inspire the house’s timeless motif.
It was in the early 1940s that the emblematic ballerina motif made its debut, following the opening of Van Cleef & Arpels’ first New York boutique in 1939. The creations emerged from the collaboration between the Rubel Brothers of Rubel Frères, jewelers who had worked with the maison since 1915, and designer Maurice Duvalet, who studied the gestures and poise of classical ballet. Crafted in the house’s New York workshop, the first set of ballerina brooches translated the elegance of ballet into wearable miniature sculptures.
These enchanting brooches depicted ballerinas mid-dance, with rose-cut diamond faces and brightly colored gem-set tutus. Many were inspired by famous dancers of the time such as Anna Pavlova and Marie-Anne de Cupis de Camargo.
The ballerina brooches soon became a sensation, adorning some of the most fashionable women of the era, including Marjorie Merriweather Post and Barbara Hutton. Around the same time, Claude Arpels befriended the choreographer George Balanchine, who was so captivated by the ballerina jewels displayed in the Van Cleef & Arpels boutique’s windows that he was inspired to create a ballet based on them. In 1967, Balanchine premiered Jewels, a non-narrative performance in three acts, titled Emerald, Rubies and Diamonds, each with dancers reminiscent of Van Cleef & Arpels’ bejeweled ballerinas.
The production of ballerina brooches gradually came to an end in the 1960s, although the motif has periodically reemerged in the firm’s recent creations, paying homage to the grace of the originals. To this day, the motif remains highly coveted among Van Cleef & Arpels collectors and connoisseurs worldwide.
It was in the early 1940s that the emblematic ballerina motif made its debut, following the opening of Van Cleef & Arpels’ first New York boutique in 1939. The creations emerged from the collaboration between the Rubel Brothers of Rubel Frères, jewelers who had worked with the maison since 1915, and designer Maurice Duvalet, who studied the gestures and poise of classical ballet. Crafted in the house’s New York workshop, the first set of ballerina brooches translated the elegance of ballet into wearable miniature sculptures.
These enchanting brooches depicted ballerinas mid-dance, with rose-cut diamond faces and brightly colored gem-set tutus. Many were inspired by famous dancers of the time such as Anna Pavlova and Marie-Anne de Cupis de Camargo.
The ballerina brooches soon became a sensation, adorning some of the most fashionable women of the era, including Marjorie Merriweather Post and Barbara Hutton. Around the same time, Claude Arpels befriended the choreographer George Balanchine, who was so captivated by the ballerina jewels displayed in the Van Cleef & Arpels boutique’s windows that he was inspired to create a ballet based on them. In 1967, Balanchine premiered Jewels, a non-narrative performance in three acts, titled Emerald, Rubies and Diamonds, each with dancers reminiscent of Van Cleef & Arpels’ bejeweled ballerinas.
The production of ballerina brooches gradually came to an end in the 1960s, although the motif has periodically reemerged in the firm’s recent creations, paying homage to the grace of the originals. To this day, the motif remains highly coveted among Van Cleef & Arpels collectors and connoisseurs worldwide.