INSPIRATION
The History Of Chopard
The History of Chopard
From dazzling high jewellery to exceptional watches, Chopard is renowned for creative expression, extraordinary craftsmanship, opulent gems and exquisite collections including Happy Diamonds, Imperiale and Happy Hearts. This luxury Swiss brand was founded in 1860 by artisan watchmaker Louis-Ulysse Chopard and was first passed on to his son Paul in 1937 and later, in 1943, to his grandson Paul Andre. In 1963 Chopard was sold to goldsmith and watchmaker Karl Scheufele III and to this day remains under the Scheufele family. Scheufele III's children, Caroline and Karl-Friedrich are Chopard’s current co-presidents and between them have developed the brand into a Maison synonymous with red carpet jewels, unique sports watches, iconic moving diamonds and meaningful heart motifs.
1976 and the first appearance of moving diamonds
In 1976, Karl Scheufele III, with the help of Chopard’s in-house designer Ronald Kurowski, developed the first men’s watch to have free-floating diamonds featured behind sapphire glass. In an innovative and pioneering move, the diamonds were freed from a traditional prong setting and fitted into a gold bezel with a bevelled base so that with every movement of the wrist the stones could dance across the dial.
1985 and Happy Diamonds
Chopard's iconic moving diamonds became a signature style of the Maison and today, the patented design is found in myriad styles in their dazzling Happy Diamonds collection. The much-coveted Happy Diamonds collection, which allows diamonds to ‘dance’ freely between two sapphire crystals without leaving any scratch marks, began life in 1985 when Caroline Scheufele sketched out an articulated Happy Clown whose tummy was filled with floating diamonds. The clown was a huge success and became not only the first piece of Chopard jewellery but also the beginning of a lifelong love affair with dancing diamonds.
1993 and the Happy Sport watch
It was Caroline who also designed the first Chopard Happy Sport watch back in 1993. Seamlessly blending those patented free-floating diamonds with steel, she created a contemporary ladies sports watch that was a huge hit for the brand. You'll find more than 1,000 variations of the original Happy Sport watch, including timepieces crafted from rare and luminous pearly nacre and featuring both floating diamonds and floating sapphires.
1994 and the feminine Imperiale collection
Delicate yet breathtaking, Chopard's Imperiale collection launched in 1994. Inspired by the golden age of empires and dedicated to the modern woman, Imperiale makes use of beautifully coloured precious stones, arabesque motifs and high-tech gold wirework. The Imperiale motif is a four-sided flower that pays homage to traditional royal embroidery and includes versions featuring diamonds, amethysts and pink quartz. Dainty yet bold, Imperiale is one of the brand's flagship lines - a majestic and sophisticated collection of Chopard jewellery and watches that are instantly recognisable.
1998 and Cannes Film Festival dreams come true
Combining the glamour of jewellery, film and A list celebrities, in 1998 Chopard became the official partner of the legendary Cannes International Film Festival. Caroline was asked to redesign the iconic Palme d’Or trophy that year and the long-standing relationship between the two saw Chopard launch their Red Carpet Collection of jewels in 2007. Chopard Red Carpet Collection is now an outstanding annual delivery of one-of-a-kind-jewels, showcased by high profile stars on the red carpet of the Cannes Film Festival. Worn by celebrities including Angelina Jolie, Cate Blanchett and Julia Roberts, Chopard's high jewellery Red Carpet collections are always a kaleidoscope of creativity, colour and high carats.
2010 and celebrating 150 years
In 2010 the brand released its high jewellery Animal World collection to honour 150 years of dazzling Chopard jewellery. The celebrated collection featured 150 unique animal-themed pieces including a white gold stork with a 51-carat pink briolette-cut kunzite, a golden pearl octopus wrapped in 540 diamonds and a sparkling sardine bracelet set with 4 carats of diamonds and 11 carats of cabochon-cut sapphires.
2015 and Happy Hearts with Petra Nemcova
In 2015 Chopard designed a Happy Hearts red heart bangle for supermodel Petra Nemcova's All Hands and Hearts Smart Response Foundation. Chopard has been working philanthropically with Nemcova since 2009 to raise awareness for her charity which provides help for children in areas affected by natural disasters. The special edition 18 carat rose gold red heart bangle features both a red heart and a heart with Chopard's iconic floating diamond. It's part of the brand's playful Happy Hearts collection which includes everything from necklaces to ear jackets and watches to rings that all carry a message of love, generosity and selflessness.
2021 and an Ice Cube collection with Marion Cotillard
French actress Marion Cotillard has been working with Chopard for 15 years and going into 2021 she has designed her first seven-piece capsule collection with the luxury brand. These ethically made edgy jewels will sit under the iconic Ice Cube collection and include rock 'n' roll-inspired earrings, cuffs and a double ring all crafted from Fairmined-certified gold and diamonds.
