The Bouton d’or collection is inspired by the curved lines of the paillette motif, a jewelry design created by Van Cleef & Arpels in the late 1930s. Reinterpreted today, it lends itself to plays of association and color to create feminine necklaces, rings, bracelets and earrings.
Van Cleef & Arpels have always been renowned for their penchant for the art of ballet. There is something poetic in this age-old dance discipline – the flair, the feminine figures, the fluidity of the motion – elements which the Maison High Jewellery so finely captures.
This year, the collection is evocative of classical and romantic ballets, with the High Jewellery ballerina clips swathed in emeralds, diamonds and rubies, respectively. Each clip seems to capture a ballerina in motion, their swirling figures frozen in mid-air, the graceful gestures and costume accentuated by the gleam of precious stones.
Meanwhile, the Maison’s Bouton d’Or collection brings new interpretations to its heritage. Bringing more graphic elements to the archived ‘paillette’ motif, the new Bouton d’Or ballerina clip stands out with radiant colours from the turquoise and the deep midnight blue of lapis lazuli.
Other elements, such as the polished yellow gold body and the figurine’s pure lines, echo its High Jewellery ballerinas and timepiece predecessors. However, most unique to the ‘paillete’ motif is the three-dimensional effect of the ballerina’s skirt, which unfurls in dazzling layers, making the figure and its skirt seemingly come to life.
