Juliet and Romeo brooches (1951)

In the early 1950s, Van Cleef & Arpels decided to draw inspiration from several of the fictional love stories in classic theater. The Maison created two pairs of clips: one depicted Cyrano and Roxane, the protagonists of Edmond Rostand's 1897 play Cyrano de Bergerac; and the other was of Romeo and Juliet, the star-crossed lovers of Shakespeare's great 1597 masterpiece

Romeo and Juliet are shown in the famous balcony scene. Their silhouettes were created using threads and ribbons of yellow gold; while rubies, sapphires, emeralds, and pearls were used to make their heads, hair, and clothing. The simplicity of the composition imbues these theatrical brooches with a poignant sincerity.