Van Cleef & Arpels's Poetry Of Time

The art form of movement imbues Van Cleef & Arpels’s Poetry Of Time with endless inspiration and creativity.

- Tan Siok Hoon

Dance is enjoying a resurgence and relevance in all spheres: think cinema, television, fashion, literature, social media and more. From classical ballet taking centre stage in the award-winning film Black Swan and streaming show Tiny Pretty Things to American Ballet Theatre soloist Misty Copeland starring in advertising campaigns and all manner of dancing videos taking over IG and TikTok feeds, the artistic and athletic performance art is now a fixture in contemporary pop culture.

For Van Cleef & Arpels, its love affair with dance began as early as its inception in 1896 where the founding family were known to be arts patrons. In the 1920s, ballet enthusiast Louis Arpels and his nephew Claude indulged in frequent visits to Opéra Garnier, a stone’s throw from their Place Vendôme boutique. This eventually led to the debut of the Maison’s now-signature ballerina clips in early 1940s, inspired by 18th-century dancer La Camargo and the famous Russian prima ballerina Anna Pavlova. The slender silhouettes of these mythical personalities were captured in infinite postures, donning costumes and headdresses studded in precious stones, while a diamond represented their face. Then in the 1950s, Claude Arpels befriended New York City Ballet co-founder and choreographer George Balanchine. Their mutual interest in gems cemented an artistic bond, resulting in the production of Balanchine’s ballet Jewels, first performed in New York in April 1967.