Ballerina clips by Van Cleef Arpels from The Spirit of Beauty exhibition
Femininity, nature and grace have always provided constant inspiration for the exquisite creations of Van Cleef Arpels, and some of the most enduring and charming examples of this inspiration are the Fairy and Ballerina clips, which were invented at the beginning of the 1940s in New York. A collaboration between Maurice Duvalet, a Frenchborn designer based in New York, Van Cleef Arpels and John Rubel, their manufacturer, resulted in the production of these extremely rare miniature gemset figures, probably as a result of Louis Arpels passion for the opera and ballet. Emerging from the Great Depression, they responded enthusiastically to these lovely creations as they saw them as a symbol of joy and hope for better days to come. Caught in graceful movement of various dance poses, their little faces were always represented by a rosecut diamond, making the jewel come alive, while their costumes sparkled with mostly rosecut diamonds accentuated by rubies and emeralds mounted in platinum. Inspi br, br,
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