Chopard Mille Miglia 1927 -2007 - 80 years of fascination

PRESS RELEASE
For initiates and connoisseurs of beautiful gemstones, Haute Joaillerie is to jewellery what Haute Couture is to off-the-peg fashion: a world apart, in a sphere beyond time – where perfection, originality, luxury, beauty and expertise merge to give birth to masterpieces. Despite the cutting-edge technologies now installed in workshops, Haute Joaillerie remains the exclusive preserve of goldsmiths and jewellers whose sheer talent and know-how are essential to crafting the most sophisticated creations.

In its Geneva workshops, Chopard shapes a range of truly stunning models and, over the years, has acquired a peerless international reputation in the particularly demanding field of Haute Horlogerie and Haute Joaillerie. Caroline Gruosi-Scheufele, Co-President of Chopard and design director, is the driving force behind the Haute Joaillerie department and the secret of its success. Passionately dedicated to her work, she draws from her frequent travels the inspiration enabling her to sublimate the finest stones and the noblest precious metals. Her love of gemstones keeps her in constant quest of the exceptional stone that will add a unique and decisive touch to Chopard’s permanently renewed creations. The emphasis placed on the development of one-of-a-kind models composed around stones of exceptional cut and quality, such as diamonds, sapphires, rubies ,emeralds, has taken Chopard to the forefront of the contemporary Haute Joaillerie scene.

From imagination to creation It all begins in the imagination of Caroline Gruosi-Scheufele: the colour combinations, the shapes and the specific stones that will be used. Subsequently a team of artists presents a sketch of the future piece of jewellery. Caroline keeps a watchful eye on this crucial passage from the initial concept through to concrete reality. Once the last curves and facets have been defined and “frozen” on paper, the project is submitted to the creative department, where a meticulous process will bring the piece of jewellery to life. In parallel, the Haute Joaillerie department sets out to look for the gems endowed with the kind of intense colours and exceptional quality that will enable the creation of a unique object.

The Haute Joaillerie creative studio is a magical place where colours and materials meet and mingle to form stunning models. Not only does this workshop give rise to classic and contemporary masterpieces, but also serves as a hotbed of ideas for developing techniques that pave the way the jewellery-making of the future. Haute Joaillerie is a vivid example of an art in a perpetual state of evolution, from the first jewellery that appeared in the third millennium B.C. through to the present time. Chopard Haute Joaillerie creations embody a wealth of promises and splendidly enhance the taste, the finesse and the chic of the women who wear them.

For further information and photographs, please contact: Chopard – Press Office
21 East 63rd Street, NY NY 10021

Tel. 212-821-0340
Or TEl. 212-821-0343
http://www.chopard.com