Jewellery

Inside the “Ballerinas” exhibition by Van Cleef & Arpels at Raffles Singapore

by Karishma Tulsidas
Photography by Jin Cheng Wong

The first “dancer” clip pirouetted into the Van Cleef & Arpels repertoire in 1941, when Louis and Claude Arpels translated their love of ballet into fantastical flights of fancy. The creative exchange was mutual: George Balanchine’s 1967 ballet Jewels was, in turn, inspired by these graceful, gem-set creations.

From early on, these designs often depicted distinctive ensembles from around the world, from Spain to Thailand. They were notable not only for their remarkable gem-setting but for their lifelike sense of movement, achieved through articulated limbs, layered skirts and the house’s pioneering Mystery Set technique. Such craftsmanship and innovation established the ballerina as one of Van Cleef & Arpels’ signature motifs.

Earlier this 2026, the “Ballerinas” exhibition at Les Jardins Secrets by Van Cleef & Arpels graced a dedicated space within the Raffles Hotel Singapore, honouring this enduring link with a showcase of rare high jewellery pieces from the house’s new and patrimony collections.

Spanning creations from the 1940s through to present-day interpretations, the exhibition traced the evolution of the dancer motif—from early figurative clips with distinctly narrative costumes to increasingly abstract, fluid compositions that emphasise line, light and motion.

Among the highlights were the “Princesse Aurora Ballerine” clip in white and rose gold, set with rubies and diamonds. Another: the “Hymne Au Printemps” clip in white and yellow gold, set with sapphires, tsavorite garnets and diamonds. Each painstakingly-crafted piece exemplifies the house’s decades-long virtuosity in capturing gesture and emotion—skirts appear to ripple mid-turn; torsos arch with balletic precision; and every detail, from engraved gold to carefully calibrated stone placement, contributes to an impression of weightless movement.