When Chopard acquired the pure type IIa Queen of Kalahari diamond from the Karowe mine in Botswana, it embarked on a journey of ethics and aesthetics. We travel to Geneva to draw the curtain on the jeweller’s commitment to its mines.
Why is it, that in 2017, there are still children sacrificing their education and working in Bangladesh’s garment factories? Why, despite the many technological advances that have permeated our lives, we still hear news of miners stuck underground? Why, when diamonds are fetching millions of dollars at auction, the people who unearth them are still impoverished and cannot afford life’s basic necessities?
These are the pertinent questions being asked by responsible luxury brands today; leading the way in gold- and gemstone-mining is Swiss jeweller Chopard. It embarked on its Journey to Sustainability in 2013, when artistic director and co-president Caroline Scheufele (above) pledged to EcoAge’s Livia Firth that the jeweller would strive to better industry’s practices, especially at the mining level. So far, Scheufele has succeeded in getting three gold mines Fairmined-certified, meaning that they offer a safe, sustainable and fair framework for miners and their communities.
Chopard is now working on the next phase of its journey: establishing the same practices for diamond mines. The starting point is the Karowe mine, which is going through a certification process. The mine has a special connection with the brand, as this is where Chopard acquired the Queen of Kalahari, pure 342-carat rough diamond, in November 2015.
The D-colour, flawless type IIA diamond was cut into 23 facetted sparklers, the largest of which is a 50-carat brilliant. The 23 diamonds are now housed within the majestic Garden of Kalahari collection, which comprises of a convertible necklace that can be work in 19 different ways; two rings; a cuff bracelet and a secret watch.
View the collection below, and read about our exclusive experience in Geneva in the February 2017 issue of Singapore Tatler.