In 2007, Chopard rolled out its Red Carpet Collection at the 60th Festival de Cannes. The high-jewellery epic started with 60 pieces that referenced the international film festival's diamond jubilee.
In following years, Caroline Scheufele increased the number of pieces to echo each edition. Accordingly, the co-president and artistic director has unveiled a new collection of 77 one-of-a kind creations as a parallel to the 77th Festival de Cannes in 2024.
The narrative begins with the familiar "Once Upon A Time" to unfold the new chapter titled "Contes de Fées" (Fairy Tales). She drew inspiration from enchanted forests, faraway kingdoms, magical creatures and other childhood fantasies to design the sparkling assortment.
Scheufele's storyline revolves around a majestic oak tree represented by a sculptural necklace in ethical 18-carat rose gold and titanium. It took six months of work, involving four jewellers and gemsetters, to materialise the splendid unique piece.
The construction comprises titanium leaves set with tsavorites and flowers with yellow sapphires as well as sculpted and tinted titanium acorns. Other gemstones in the composition include emeralds, demantoid garnets and diamonds.
Oak necklace constructed by interlacing ethical rose gold and titanium.
Symbolising strength and power, the oak tree hosts a multitude of insects, small animals and birds, not to mention playful sprites.
Two mischievous woodland fairies sit on acorns that centre green oak leaves. Diamonds in shades of white, yellow and cognac harmonise with pearls, tsavorites and emeralds on these leaf-shaped earrings.
The artistic director imagines a mushroom at the foot of the oak tree. The fanciful fungus becomes a ring in ethical 18-carat rose gold, with its cap entirely set with diamonds in shades of white, orange-brown and cognac.
The magic mushroom shimmers among flowers such as lily of the valley and iris that have been interpreted as brooches embellished with various gemstones.
The floral design extends to lily of the valley earrings and a delightful titanium pair set with diamonds, emeralds and Paraiba tourmalines.
Diamonds in shades of white, orange-brown and cognac shimmer on the mushroom ring.
An extremely light material, titanium is often used for pieces that would be impossible to make in gold because of their size and weight.
In addition, its ability to be tinted in a multitude of colours by anodisation means that titanium can stand alone or disappear beneath the finest gemsetting, taking on the colour of the stones, pretty much like a chameleon.
Nine handcrafted titanium flowers alternate with tsavorite leaves to frame the rock crystal of a spellbinding pendant. Details include the random micro-setting of pistils and leaves with tiny pearls evoking morning dew.
Furthermore, a flower motif with gemstones blooms at the heart of the rock crystal. The pendant is suspended from a long sautoir necklace composed of tsavorite, rubellite and amethyst beads along with pearls and white gold elements set with diamonds.
Chopard Red Carpet Collection 2024.
Transformable designs include pendants in ethical 18-carat white gold featuring detachable fairies or the signature clown motif that respectively serve as a pair of earrings or a brooch.
Designed by Scheufele, the original Happy Clown with a tummy full of diamonds and coloured stones from 1985 marked Chopard's venture into jewellery-making. Its horology dates back to 1860 when Louis-Ulysse Chopard founded a workshop in Sonvilier, Switzerland.
In 2010, the maison celebrated its 150th anniversary with an animal-themed high jewellery collection.
Creatures in the new line-up include a dragon, whale, unicorn and two frogs on a selection of rings. Set with pear-shaped emeralds, the tiny titanium frogs embrace a crown topped with a majestic 17.71-carat rubellite, while the mythical unicorn perches on a grey pearl.
Symbolising a carefree spirit, butterflies seemingly flutter on earrings in ethical 18-carat white gold carrying pear-shaped aquamarines or rubellite briolettes weighing 27.57 and 41.50 carats. The wings are fashioned in brilliant-cut gemstones while those on an angel ring spread out in carved watermelon tourmaline.
Butterfly earrings holding two pear-shaped aquamarines.
Chopard's world of Contes de Fées is enlivened by heavenly fairies. One with mother-of-pearl wings graces an airy tiara adorned with a shower of stars and diamond droplets. In ethical 18-carat white gold, the tiara is another transformable design as the dainty fairy can be detached and worn as a brooch.
The 77 pieces showcase the expertise and dexterity of Chopard's artisans known as Mains d'Art (artistic hands). Moreover, crafting the Palme d'Or for the Festival de Cannes is another painstaking task carried out at its high-jewellery ateliers in Meyrin, Geneva.
Since 1998, the Swiss brand has been the official partner of the iconic cinematic event. Based on the "The Journey To Sustainable Luxury" concept, from 2014 the stylised palm branches on the prestigious trophies have shone in ethical Fairmined-certified 18-carat yellow gold.
The family-owned company then expanded the use of ethical gold to the entire production of its timepieces and jewellery in 2018. Likewise, gemstones are sustainably sourced according to standards set by the Responsible Jewellery Council.
The sustainable luxury philosophy is underlined by exquisite high jewellery in this new dreamy episode of the annual Red Carpet Collection.
Detachable fairy on the tiara becomes a brooch.
Lily of the valley brooch set with diamonds and tsavorites.
Angel ring with carved watermelon tourmaline wings.
Titanium frogs embrace a crown topped with a 17.71-carat rubellite.
Assembling the mushroom ring.
Titanium flower earrings set with diamonds, emeralds and Paraiba tourmalines.
Fairies occupy acorns on the oak leaf earrings.
Pendant with a rock crystal featuring floral motifs.
