Chopard’s vision towards sustainability


Chopard’s vision towards sustainability

The luxury jewellery and watch Maison, Chopard, owned and run by the Scheufele family was founded in 1860. The Scheufele family have always had responsibility and ethics as an important part of their family philosophy. Naturally, they have always put sustainability at the heart of the values of Chopard.

Caroline Scheufele and Julianne Moore in 2016

More than 30 years ago, the family had the vision and determination to develop vertically integrated in-house production, and to invest in mastering high quality craftsmanship, from creating a rare in-house gold foundry in 1978, to nurturing the skills of high jewellery artisans and expert watchmakers. This meant that Chopard was able to manage all the processes from manufacturing to final product.

Fairmined Gold Ingots 2

Since then Chopard has continued with its commitment to sustainability.

  • Chopard has been a certified member of the Responsible Jewellery Council since 2012, having joined in 2010.
  • In 2013 Chopard, in partnership with Eco-Age, launched The Journey to Sustainable Luxury, looking at its key impacts and improving sourcing and production processes to create a more responsible supply chain, from mine to the product. As part of The Journey, Chopard has worked with key partners to responsibly sourced gold and to feature responsibly sourced emeralds, the first traceable and sustainably sourced opals from a family-owned mine in remote Australia and RJC certified diamonds in high jewellery collections. Key milestones of The Journey available below*.

Caroline Scheufele, Artistic Director and Co-President of Chopard said: “Since the launch of The Journey to Sustainable Luxury, we have been improving the sustainability performance of our production processes***, building responsible supply chains, and playing our part to catalyse positive change for the communities and people touched by our business and products”.

Fairmined Gold Foundry

Today, Chopard continues its commitment to The Journey- always striving to improve sourcing and production processes to create a more responsible supply chain – “It is not an easy Journey, but it is the right one” (Caroline Scheufele).

The fourth generation of the Scheufele family runs the Maison today. Each generation makes its own contribution and passes on to its descendants. For the Scheufele family the most important duty is to sustain this legacy over time and generations, which is why the family continues to invest in research and development.

One of the goals of The Journey is to create sustainable supply chains, including the sourcing of gold, emeralds, opals and more. As part of The Journey, we continually review our supply chains to ensure the procurement of responsibly-sourced stones. Towards this end, and in light of the escalating Rohingya crisis in Burma, Chopard has taken the decision to cease sourcing Burmese gemstones with immediate effect as from 2017. Chopard takes its commitment to the highest standards of ethical sourcing very seriously and will continue to monitor the situation in Burma to help ensure that its principles are not compromised, now or in the future.

Iquira Miners

As part of the philanthropic approach of the Scheufele family, Chopard supports, and have helped to launch, environmental and social NGO’s, charities and organisations across the globe, including The Elton John AIDS Foundation, The Prince’s Trust and WWF. Today, the Maison actively supports the José Carreras Leukaemia Foundation, the Happy Hearts Foundation and Centerpoint. Charities listed in notes to editors**.

NOTES TO EDITORS

The Journey to Sustainable Luxury

Launched in 2013 in partnership with Eco-Age, The Journey to Sustainable Luxury is Chopard’s commitment to sourcing responsibly and helping the real people in its supply chain who are all too often overlooked. An exciting and ambitious multi-year programme, it has now delivered global market leadership and differentiation from competitors

The Journey began with a world first that saw Chopard forge a philanthropic relationship with the influential South American mining NGO, the Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM).  Chopard became the world’s first watch and luxury jewellery company to support and enable gold mining communities to reach Fairmined certification and provide training, social welfare and environmental support. To date, two mines in Latin America (in Colombia and Bolivia) have now achieved Fairmined certification through Chopard’s direct support.

L.U.C XPS Fairmined

Over the last five years, Chopard has continued to build on its promise, achieving a number of landmark steps including: creating the incredible Green Carpet Collection of High Jewellery using only sustainably sourced and traceable precious materials; the Palme Verte Collection, the first diffusion lines in Fairmined gold; the world’s first watches in Fairmined gold in the L.U.C Collection; not forgetting the mythical Palme d’Or which has been crafted from Fairmined gold since 2014. In 2017, Chopard also launches the new Ice Cube collection, a jewellery diffusion line crafted in Chopard ethical gold 100% responsibly sourced.

Milestones of The Journey to date

Cannes 2013:  Chopard unveils The Journey to Sustainable Luxury, a commitment to a multi-year programme to improve the environment and the lives of those at the very beginning of the supply chain, who are so often forgotten. The first step is a commitment to support artisanal mines through its partnership with ARM and unveils the first Green Collection creations, a delicate cuff bracelet and matching earrings set in Fairmined gold and using diamonds from  RJC certified suppliers. French actress Marion Cotillard wears the exquisite jewellery on the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival.

The Palme dOr Fairmined 2

Golden Globes 2014: Cate Blanchett wins the Golden Globe for Best Actress, wearing the most exquisite hand crafted earrings set with diamonds from RJC certified suppliers and set in Fairmined Gold.

Baselworld 2014: Chopard launches a world first: an Haute Horlogerie watch made of Fairmined gold, the L.U.C Tourbillon QF Fairmined.

Cannes 2014: Chopard crafts the Palme d’Or in Fairmined gold, representing another world first, this time for the film industry.

November 2014, Miami: Caroline Scheufele is presented by Livia Firth with the Environmentalist of the Year Award in recognition for her role in launching The Journey To Sustainable Luxury, in partnership with Eco-Age at the Bravo Business Awards.

November 2014, New York: Caroline Scheufele is presented by Her Excellency, The First Lady of Columbia, with the United Nation’s Fashion 4 Development Award in recognition of her role in launching The ‘Journey To Sustainable Luxury’.

Baselworld 2015:  Chopard deepens its commitment to the Journey with the support of a new artisanal gold mine in Bolivia. The luxury watch and jewellery company also launches new pieces for the Green Carpet Collection of High Jewellery and another Fairmined Watch, the L.U.C XPS Fairmined.

Cannes 2015: Chopard launches its first diffusion jewellery in Fairmined gold. Inspired by the design of the famous Palme d’Or awarded in Cannes, the Palme Verte collection is crafted in Fairmined 18ct yellow gold.

Cannes 2015: Caroline Scheufele and Marion Cotillard combine their creativity and their commitment to sustainable luxury through the Green Carpet Collection for which the Oscar award-winning actress designed a one-of-a-kind jewellery piece. This creation introduces a new material in the Green Carpet Collection: the first traceable and sustainably sourced opals from the Australian family-owned Aurora mine, in remote Australia.

September 2015: The two co-operative mines – one in Bolivia and the other in Colombia – have achieved Fairmined certification following Chopard’s support in the last two years. Chopard has pledged to buy 100% of the Fairmined gold the mines produce.

September 2015: Chopard continues to lead the jewellery industry with the announcement of a partnership with Swiss refiner, Precinox,  to establish the world’s first secure commercial export route for Fairmined gold from Bolivia to Europe.

Cannes 2016: Chopard announces its new partnership with Gemfields and unveils a capsule collection of Green Carpet High Jewellery featuring responsibly sourced emeralds for the very first time.

Julianne Moore debuts the beautiful Green Carpet creations on the famous red carpet. Julianne, who has walked the Green Carpet Challenge before, wore the incredible statement earrings along with a ring, both crafted in Fairmined certified gold and featuring the validated emeralds from Gemfields and diamonds sourced from the IGC group, which is certified by the RJC Code of Practices.

Venice 2016: Chopard continues to strengthen its relationship with Gemfields as it launches new Green Carpet creations of High Jewellery at the Venice Film Festival 2016. The incredible new pieces feature responsibly sourced emeralds, showcasing the marriage of ethics and aesthetics.

November 2016: Chopard launches the L.U.C Full Strike, its first minute repeater, crafted in 18ct rose Fairmined gold.

January 2017: Chopard reveals a unique capsule collection in the Green Carpet Collection, the Garden of Kalahari, crafted from an incredible D Flawless diamond from Botswana, responsibly sourced in the mine of Karowe: the Queen of Kalahari, and Fairmined Gold.

Baselworld 2017: Chopard launches new pieces from the Ice Cube collection, a jewellery diffusion line crafted in Fairmined gold.

Cannes and Oscars 2017: Charlize Theron wears the Garden of Kalahari collection on the red carpet.

Cannes 2017: Caroline Scheufele, along with Colin and Livia Firth honoured Chopard’s strategic suppliers who all share the same social and environmental values, with the Chopard GCC Award for Commitment to Sustainability and Social Justice.

Chopard launches its new luxury perfume house as part of the Journey to Sustainable Luxury.

Milan Fashion Week 2017:  Chopard is centre stage at the inaugural Green Carpet Fashion Awards, Italia with the beautiful statuettes crafted in Fairmined gold by Chopard, presented to all winners including, Valentino, Prada, Gucci and Armani. 

October 2017: In light of the escalating Rohingya crisis in Burma, Chopard have taken the decision to cease sourcing Burmese gemstones with immediate effect.

November 2017: Chopard joins SBGA in order to further increase its contribution in artisanal gold miners’ improvement initiatives and therefore contribute to a further growth of volumes of responsibly extracted gold.

Baselworld 2018: Chopard announces that by July 2018, Chopard will use 100% responsibly sourced gold in all jewellery and watches and measure impact against UN Global Goals for sustainable development.

**Foundations supported by Chopard today:

 

JOSÉ CARRERAS LEUKAEMIA FOUNDATION

In July 1988, one year after winning the battle against leukaemia, the world-famous tenor José Carreras set up a foundation to support research and promising scientific projects. The Foundation also helps to improve treatment opportunities and increase the number of hospital units that are equipped to perform bone marrow transplants. José Carreras and the Scheufele family are united by a longstanding friendship. In 1991, they helped to create the foundation of the Swiss based Geneva entity and then, in 1995 the one in Munich. Since then, Mr. Karl Scheufele is the President of the Swiss Foundation. 1996 was the launch year of the José Carreras watch collection. The first limited editions bore engravings of various opera houses around the world on the case-back. This partnership continues through sales of earmarked L.U.C XP watches.

HAPPY HEARTS FOUNDATION

Chopard Co-President and Artistic Director Caroline Scheufele launched the partnership with the Happy Hearts Fund and Petra Nemcova to help rebuild schools and children’s lives after natural disasters. Happy Heart Fund is active in seven countries and to date has built 81 schools and kindergartens. More than 45,000 children and 490,000 community members have benefited from all programmes. To support these efforts, Chopard contributes by refunding 17% of proceeds of the pink Happy Hearts bracelets sales to the Fund.

 

***Chopard sustainable facilities

Chopard strives to provide the best working conditions for all staff members be it at our production sites, offices or the network of Boutiques. In 2010 Chopard’s Geneva head office was the first building constructed with consideration of Minergie, a rigorous Swiss eco-friendly construction standard. This building is a champion of low-resource consumption and energy efficiency. The double isolation envelope allows cooled air from the restaurant to be re-used in the air conditioning systems and rainwater collectors give full autonomy for garden irrigation.

In December 2013, after five years of renovations the Fleurier Ebauches building was awarded the Minergie label. This state-of-the-art industrial facility producing movements for Chopard watches is the largest building to be refurbished under the Minergie norm in the Canton of Neuchâtel. To minimise energy consumption the ground floor was insulated to a width of 120cm, whilst a second skin was added to the façade of the wing to ensure ventilation in summer and heat recovery in winter. All electrical installations were selected according to Minergie standards and the roof was covered with solar panels.

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