Ever since she was a child admiring her great-grandmother’s tiny ring in the family home back in Toulouse, Dorothée Gilbert has loved jewellery, and especially diamonds. Olivier Perruchot suggested that she visit the Manufacture Piaget in La Côte-aux-Fées. “I discovered a world of patience and precision that fascinated me. The meticulous care devoted by each artisan is beyond words. And seeing the finished piece of jewellery is an incredible emotional experience, the story it tells represents countless hours of work. What a captivating sight for someone like me who has such a great need of space and keeping on the move!”

The extent of this mutual comprehension was clearly apparent. True to its history, dotted with examples of close ties with artists such as Andy Warhol or Salvador Dali, the Maison asked Dorothée Gilbert to share the brand values. She accepted immediately. “Every little girl dreams of playing princess and I’m living the dream! What woman doesn’t melt before the boutique windows on the Rue de la Paix? Piaget jewellery models accompany me in daily life. I am thrilled that the Maison wished to partner me as a woman, and not only as a dancer.”

The radiantly feminine Dorothée Gilbert exudes a natural joie de vivre – that of a fulfilled artist acclaimed on the world’s greatest stages, whether on tour with the Paris Opera & Ballet or as a guest star with the most prestigious ballet companies. From Sydney to Tokyo, from New York to Moscow and from Toronto to St. Petersburg, she criss-crosses the planet, sparingly posting magical moments that delight her tens of thousands of followers on Instagram and Facebook, representing unprecedented social media popularity for a ballet dancer. The video of a few fouetté turns performed before a gala in Taipei – where the étoile danced with her Possession rings – has already scored 50,000 views!

Immediately after returning from this Taiwanese gala, Dorothée Gilbert began rehearsing for Manon by Kenneth MacMillan. “I am really happy because I always dreamt of dancing this work and it was very much on my wish list.” Behind her natural simplicity lie hours and hours of work. Even though she sees technique as merely a means of conveying motions, the public universally salutes her gift for taking on the great dramatic roles in Romeo and Juliet, Eugene Onegin, Lady of the Camellias. The motto that has been driving Piaget for more than 140 years “Always do better than possible” clearly chimes with this dancer. How could one not establish a parallel between Piaget’s quest for aesthetic pleasure and Dorothée Gilbert’s roles that transport audiences into raptures?

The creative freedom that the Maison cultivates in order to offer watch and jewellery collections rooted in modernity, along with the virtuoso skills of its artisans who are passionate about perfection, are entirely in tune with the artist who expresses herself on stage: her amazing interpretive talent calls for top-flight technical mastery.

To capture the photos of its new muse, the Maison naturally turned to James Bort, without whom this adventure would never have happened. “I always approach a photo session like a blank page, because I love to discover what the photographer sees in me. I literally leave him carte blanche, especially when he happens to be my husband!”