Beautiful jewellery is often a part of many little girls’ daydreams, but if you’re Caroline Scheufele, those daydreams can become a sparkling reality. The co-president and artistic director of Chopard has drawn on childhood memories of fairy tales for the brand’s 2024 Red Carpet Collection, and it is a veritable wonderland filled with majestic flora, woodland critters, magical creatures, and plenty of hearts – a Chopard favorite.
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One of the standout pieces is a sculptural necklace that twines around the neck like a resplendent oak tree, its rose gold and titanium branches ornamented with tsavorite leaves, yellow briolette-cut sapphire flowers, and sculpted titanium acorns – all of which took a team of four jewellers and gem-setters six months to complete.
Whimsy continues to abound in a pair of rings – one featuring two little titanium frogs holding a yellow gold crown set with a 17.7 carat round-cut rubellite, and another with a white gold cherub with diamond-set arms and watermelon tourmaline wings.
To enhance the neckline, Scheufele incorporated long pendants, including a heart-shaped ruby and diamond key, and an Art Deco-style choker featuring a 6.21-carat yellow diamond, accented with micro-setting in complementary tones.
The entire collection comprises 77 pieces, to mark the 77th edition of the annual Cannes Film Festival, where Chopard has been an official partner for 27 years. Despite murmurs of a softening luxury market, Scheufele remains confident in her maison’s standing. “Our high jewellery actually performed much better this year than the last,” she reveals. “The middle class is suffering more, and they want to spoil themselves with something that will last. Now, less is more, and they would rather buy one meaningful piece than five lesser ones that may end up going out of fashion or in a cupboard.”
High jewellery, in her opinion, is fairly immune to trends and market forces because of the lasting quality and allure of diamonds. “They’re indestructible and are passed on from generation to generation. And you can change the design around the stones to create a new look,” she explains. “And apart from their beauty, they gain value over time. And let’s not forget, it’s the easiest way to put a lot of money in your pocket if you need to run. You can’t take your house, and even a Chagall or Picasso would be difficult to transport,” she quips.
Chopard’s jewellery success is due in large part to Scheufele’s vibrant imagination, which infuses her creations with a blend of elegance and capriciousness – much like the woman herself. Her affinity for gemstones goes beyond formal training or a lifetime surrounded by them; it’s an emotional connection. “I need to feel good energy from the stones,” she says. “Sometimes people ask me why I didn’t like a particular stone, and it’s because I don’t feel that energy. Some have a light and a fire to them, while others feel off. I’ve seen so many stones now that I always say that a stone has to ‘talk’ to me first.”
Accompanying the high jewellery collection this year is the second edition of Caroline’s Couture, with multiple looks featuring patterns and motifs that reflect Chopard’s most iconic collections, such as the Happy Hearts, Precious Lace, and newly refreshed Ice Cube. While haute couture tends to prioritize artistic expression over actual wearability, Caroline’s Couture was designed to be worn. “I think couture that ends up sitting in a closet is very silly,” she claims. “Caroline’s Couture is meant to enhance the jewellery, and to make the woman look womanly – elegant, but also a bit sexy. But some designers, I’m sorry to say, create really unwearable clothes without thought for comfort. It’s not about the logo, it should be about who’s going to wear it.”
Regard for others is a common thread that runs through all of Chopard’s businesses. As of last year, all the gold Chopard uses is ethically sourced, and the steel it develops and employs is made from 80 per cent recycled materials. Though new to the couture scene, Scheufele is committed to integrating ethical and sustainable practices there as well. They only order the necessary amount of material for each dress and use paper and inexpensive linen for preliminary designs before cutting the actual fabrics. “Some houses have a creative director that comes in with 50 to 100 prototypes, but only a handful are selected, and the rest get burned. They don’t even cut them apart to donate; it just goes to waste. When I learned that, I was shocked.”
Scheufele recognizes that sustainability is especially important to younger generations. “When we first started pushing sustainability it was challenging because nobody was doing it. It was a ‘Why bother?’ kind of situation,” she muses. “But the next generation is much more critical – they want to know how their trainers are produced, if there are children working in the mines, and if working environments are safe. I also sleep better knowing I’m trying to do what I can.”
She observes that this generation is also embracing high jewellery much earlier. “Many women are self-sustaining now. They can buy their own diamonds and flowers. Traditionally, it was the husband or fiancée who would buy the jewellery, and the women would maybe get a dress or handbag, but wouldn’t go into a jewellery shop. The landscape has completely changed from 20 years ago.”
(Related: Chopard unveils new Ice Cube collection with Bella Hadid as global ambassador)
In a bid to connect with this demographic, Chopard has recently announced Bella Hadid as its global brand ambassador, featuring a new Ice Cube collection at the heart of a campaign designed to meet the demand for reimagined classics that are suitable for all genders. However, Scheufele also follows her own passions when creating new designs, hinting at her work on a sportier Happy Sport collection inspired by her love of skiing, swimming, and tennis.
“If it’s a bespoke order then obviously the client’s taste is a big part of the design process, but 90 per cent of the time, I’m designing for myself. It’s like cooking – you’re not going to make something you’re not going to eat, right?”
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