INTERVIEWS
As part of our 20 Stories of Impact series, we’re speaking with RJC members, stakeholders, and pioneers who’ve shaped our journey over the past two decades, exploring sustainability, industry trends, the future of jewellery, and more. Caroline Scheufele is the Co-President and Artistic Director of Chopard, known for pioneering ethical luxury and creating iconic high jewellery and watch designs.
At Chopard, we believe that true luxury is defined not only by beauty and craftsmanship, but also by responsibility. Joining the RJC was a natural step for us, as we felt it was essential to be part of a global movement that champions sustainable and responsible practices in our industry. On the one hand, RJC membership enables us to enhance our environmental and social practices across our ateliers and boutiques worldwide; on the other, it has united all Chopard Group employees around a shared vision. For us, RJC is also a key tool for engaging our value chain, allowing us to work closely with our supplier partners under a single, robust and internationally recognised standard.
As a family-run Maison driven by a long-term vision, sustainability has always been a core value for Chopard. In 2013, we launched our Journey to Sustainable Luxury programme, committed to responsible sourcing and supporting those in the supply chain who are often overlooked. Since 2018, Chopard has been using 100% ethical gold for both our watches and jewellery. This was made possible because, over 40 years ago, we developed vertically integrated in-house production and invested in mastering all crafts internally, including a gold foundry, which is quite unique in our industry. In terms of circular economy, my brother Karl-Friedrich and I were very proud to launch our Lucent Steel™ programme for the production of all our steel watches at Watches & Wonders in 2023, together with our ambassadress Julia Roberts. This material is made with a recycling rate of at least 80% and is sourced within 1,000 km of our manufacturing sites. This approach, which introduces environmental and social criteria for all our key materials, is at the heart of our sourcing strategy. As I always say, Rome wasn’t built in a day. It takes time and patience, but we’re really happy with what we’ve achieved so far, and we will definitely continue our journey with new initiatives.
We have always paid close attention to how our customers’ expectations around sustainability have evolved. We launched our Journey to Sustainable Luxury ten years ago to reflect the long-term vision of the Maison, bringing ethics and aesthetics together at the heart of our creations. Our family values and commitment to sustainability resonate deeply with our customers, who rightly expect luxury to go hand in hand with ethical sourcing, environmental care, and social responsibility. That is why we also invest in training all our sales teams, so they can speak about our sustainability commitments with clarity and transparency.
We are actively working on our 2030 Carbon Plan, following the validation of our targets by the SBTi, as well as on eco-design projects for our watch and jewellery cases, and on our sustainability report. We are also collaborating closely with our peers to find shared solutions at the jewellery and watchmaking industry level, always with the goal of creating a positive impact and moving towards more sustainable luxury.
We strive to integrate sustainability criteria into every piece we create. In March, we unveiled the Insofu High Jewellery collection, crafted from a magnificent 6,225-carat rough emerald from Zambia that we acquired several years ago. By purchasing the raw Insofu emerald, Chopard was able to follow its entire journey through to the final creation, thanks to the Maison’s in-house expertise. From gem-cutting to jewellery design, Chopard’s workshops ensured a complete chain of traceability, which is rare for a stone of this quality. Each piece in the collection is made from 100% ethical gold sourced from our Geneva foundry. Collaborating closely with those at the beginning of the supply chain deepened Chopard’s connection to the gem’s journey and to the people behind it. With the use of Provenance Proof’s Emerald Paternity Test, developed by the Gübelin Gem Lab, we have ensured lifetime traceability, fully in line with our values and vision for sustainable luxury.
