Published on November 27, 2018Updated on June 19, 2023
For the end-of-year festivities, the Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo has invited Chopard to celebrate a scintillating Christmas with its Golden Star Christmas tree!
How did you become such a popular figure in the niche market of high jewellery?
Caroline Scheufele: With lots of work, audacity, creativity and passion! We are lucky to be an independent family business. This is a great asset as it gives us not only the freedom to be innovative and creative, but also allows us to make decisions quickly and therefore bring our ideas to life in a short space of time.
I am very fortunate to manage a fantastic team within our high jewellery workshops in Geneva. It is made up of no fewer than 30 artisans who each possess a unique expertise, allowing them to craft truly exceptional pieces.
A major step in high jewellery within our House was our first real signature collection, 'Animal World', unveiled in 2010 and composed of 150 extraordinary pieces to celebrate Chopard’s 50th anniversary. I hold this collection particularly close to my heart, as I created and designed it myself from start to finish. It has been met with great success the world over.
You are one of the first jewellers to have incorporated environmental and ethical concerns. What does this commitment consist of?
C.S: We are proud to announce that since July 2018, we are using 100% ethical gold to produce all of our watches and jewellery. This is a great step, not just for Chopard, but also for the entire watchmaking and jewellery industry on a global level.
Five years ago, we launched our long-term programme, ‘The Journey to Sustainable Luxury’, to promote responsible supply throughout our supply chain. Through this programme, we commit to support artisanal mining communities in Latin America in their Fairmined certification process. In this way, Chopard was the first House in the jewellery and watchmaking sector to launch a global project using gold. This project helps these artisanal mines through training and support, contributing to their social well-being and the protection of their environment.
Today, Chopard is the largest buyer of Fairmined gold, and we were the first House to design a fine jewellery range as well as Fairmined gold timepieces.
As part of our "’Journey to Sustainable Luxury"’, we also make sure that the stones that we purchase also come from responsible sources. This year, we are proud to include in our Green Carpet Collection the first Paraiba tourmaline from the Mavuco mine in Mozambique, which was extracted responsibly. My friend, the actress Julianne Moore, and I teamed up to design a wonderful necklace showcasing this ocean blue stone that she wore for the first time on the red carpet at the Cannes Festival last May.
It’s a long-term undertaking, but I strongly believe that this is the right path to take. With this project, we are hoping to raise awareness about the origin of precious materials in the entire industry.
What connections does your House have with the Riviera and with Monaco in particular?
C.S: The connection between Chopard and the Riviera, and more specifically with Monaco and Cannes, is a real love story. Actually, we have been an official partner of the Cannes International Film Festival since 1998, when I redesigned the Palme d'Or. As such, we not only manufacture the Palme d'Or, which has been crafted in Fairmined gold since 2014, but we also created the Chopard Trophy in 2001 to reward young film talents.
Our attachment to the city of Monaco is also extremely strong. My brother, Karl-Friedrich, a passionate collector of classic cars, initiated a beautiful partnership with the Monaco Historic Grand Prix. In this way, we have been the main sponsor and official timekeeper of the Grand Prix Historique de Monaco, the world’s most prestigious classic motor racing competition, since 2002. This then gave rise to a collection of timepieces entitled ‘Grand Prix de Monaco Historique’, embodying the virtues of endurance, precision and style that characterise this motor race.
Why did you choose the Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo to display your Chopard Christmas tree?
C.S: The Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo is an iconic luxury hotel of great international prestige. We couldn’t have found a more beautiful setting for our new Chopard Christmas tree. Our House is proud to support the hotel in its reopening after a renovation programme that has been underway since 2014.
What will the theme of the Christmas tree be, and what do you wish to convey to visitors?
C.S: To reflect our commitment to use 100% ethical gold to produce all our watches and jewellery since July 2018, the Chopard fir tree will be called the ‘Golden Star’. It will take pride of place in the new hall of the Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo, where it is sure to dazzle with its shimmering gold nuggets and glittering garlands. We hope you’ll come to see it when you visit Monaco.
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