Van Cleef & Arpels recently unveiled two new High Jewelry creations at TEFAF 2024. Continuing the House’s classic inspirational themes, the Léonore Ballerina brooch captures the moment when a ballerina dances on her tiptoes, while the Philenor Butterfly inter-index ring features intricate gem-setting to create the winged form of an American Blue Crested Butterfly.
“The Léonore ballerina brooch captures the moment when ballerina Léonore dances on her tiptoes, her face set with rose-cut diamonds, her head crowned with brilliant diamonds, and her skirt set with diamonds of different sizes, like the petals of a flower. The skirt is set with diamonds of varying sizes, like the petals of a flower, and the end of the skirt is openworked to create a lace-like texture. A gold corset with gold beads emphasizes the dancer’s figure, while round sapphires set in the corset echo the ballet shoes.
Inspired by the Battus philenor, the “Philenor Butterfly Interfinger Ring” features a double band design that depicts the butterfly’s visit to a flower – one band is set with onyx, turquoise and white mother-of-pearl layered to form the butterfly’s colorful wings, One ring features onyx, turquoise and white mother-of-pearl layered to form the butterfly’s colorful wings, accented with pink sapphires and diamonds to represent the natural flecks of color on the wings, while the other ring features a 2.5ct brilliant cut round diamond surrounded by custom cut rubies to represent the flowers that attract the butterfly. This inter-finger ring is designed with a clever mechanism that allows both the butterfly and flower rings to be rotated to be worn in any direction, adding a poetic touch.
