Van Cleef & Arpels @ Creations In Honor of Reflections

Van Cleef & Arpels celebrate its collaboration with Benjamin Millepied, founder of L.A Dance Project, by presenting some new High Jewelry pieces inspired by the world of dance. Almost fifty years after the first performance of Jewels, George Balanchine’s ballet inspired by the jewelry of Van Cleef & Arpels - the Maison is once again taking part in an exceptional collaboration in the field of dance: a longterm partnership with L.A Dance Project, the collective founded by Benjamin Millepied. From May 23 to 25, 2013, at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, the French dancer and choreographer will be staging Reflections, a new work born out of his encounter with the High Jewelry Maison. Featuring a score composed for the occasion by David Lang and a set and costumes designed by the American artist Barbara Kruger, it presents Benjamin Millepied’s vision of precious stones. The first part of a trilogy entitled Gems, Reflections is one of the high points of this collaboration with L.A Dance Project, which began in 2012. In September, Van Cleef & Arpels sponsored the L.A Dance Project’s first performance at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles.

To celebrate this partnership, Van Cleef & Arpels is presenting three unique clips in the ballerina and fairy tradition so dear to the Maison. In white gold and diamonds, these dancers are remarkable for their graceful, ethereal lines and sparkling simplicity. While one of them stands out for the gossamer lightness of her dress. with its delicate honeycomb motif, the other two pieces capture all the elegance of a dance step frozen in time. With these slender silhouettes, Van Cleef & Arpels once more translates the ephemeral beauty of movement into gold and precious stones. To meet the Maison’s requirements for excellence, the diamonds were selected according to the very highest standards: D and E for color and IF and VVS for purity. On one of the clips, alternating round and baguette-cut diamonds add to the dynamism of the piece; the daisy chain of stones adorning another dancer emphasizes the airy volume of her costume. Like all the Maison’s ballerinas, the face is represented by a rose-cut diamond.

True miniature sculptures, these pieces have been designed from the outset as three-dimensional female figures. The entire silhouette is carefully shaped: the waist, the bust, the varying contours of the arms and the legs, discernible thanks to the transparent effect of an openwork tutu. The attention to detail extends to the rear of the piece: as finely worked as the front, it is crowned by an elegant chignon that sparkles with diamonds.

As a tribute to Reflections, Van Cleef & Arpels is revisiting one of its emblematic creations: the Zip necklace. The Maison has created a brand new piece whose tassel, depicting a ballerina seen from above, provides a clear reference to the world of dance. With her arms extended gracefully, the dancer is haloed by a skirt of glittering diamonds. A masterpiece of ingenuity, the Zip necklace is without doubt one of Van Cleef & Arpels’ most daring creations. Its story begins in the late 1930s, when the Duchess of Windsor, one of the Maison’s leading customers

suggested to Renée Puissant, Artistic Director and daughter of the founding couple, that the zip fastener could provide the inspiration for a piece of jewelry. Eventually created in 1951, the necklace is distinguished by its ability to be worn in two different ways: either open as a necklace or closed as a bracelet, epitomizing the Maison’s taste for innovative and transformable designs.