It is this intrepid spirit and desire to always push the envelope that has come to define Scheufele’s legacy at Chopard, and her bravest decision so far has been the push for the ethical sourcing and mining of gold and gemstones that she undertook five years ago. The story of how she started Chopard’s journey to sustainability has often been repeated, but here’s a refresher: She met Livia Firth, whose actor husband Colin Firth was nominated for the movie The King’s Speech, at the 2011 Oscar’s. Over coffee, Firth asked her: “Where does your gold come from?” A seemingly innocent question, if Firth had not been the founder of Eco-Age, a sustainability consultancy. The conversation prompted Scheufele to dig deep into the issue, and she found out the challenges and dire conditions that mining communities faced.
SINGAPORE (Nov 12): Twenty-five years ago, Chopard became the first brand to launch a steel watch lavished with diamonds. It was part of the brand’s Happy Sport collection, a wearable and modern offshoot of its iconic Happy Diamonds family. The bold move would prove to be pioneering, as never before had anyone dared to mix utilitarian steel with precious diamonds. The person behind this decision was Caroline Scheufele, artistic director and co-president of the Geneva-based maison, who simply wanted to have “something fun to wear during the day”.
She reveals that she faced no resistance from her family (the Scheufeles own the brand) when she made the suggestion, and adds, almost defiantly, “It was a bit daring, but where is it written that you don’t put diamonds into steel?”
