A DIAMOND, RUBY AND EMERALD "BALLERINA" BROOCH, BY VAN CLEEF & ARPELS

Maria Camargo's Paris Opéra debut occurred in 1726 in Les Caractères de la danse. Her career blossomed quickly into stardom; on one occasion, she received high praise for a spectacular impromptu solo when another dancer failed to enter on cue. Widely admired for her style, Camargo set the trends in shoes, hairstyles and clothing. Most notably, she was the first ballerina to shorten her skirt enough to permit intricate footwork, and her fitted underpinnings inspired the creation of modern-day tights.

Cf. Penny Proddow and Debra Healy, American Jewelry: Glamour and Tradition, Rizzoli, New York, 1987, pages 146-147

Cf. Sylvie Raulet, Jewelry of the 1940s and 1950s, Editions du Regard, Paris, 1987, page 57

Cf. Sylvie Raulet, Van Cleef & Arpels, Editions du Regard, Paris, 1986, and Rizzoli, New York, 1987, page 219