Sustainability and ethics are paramount to the Scheufele family of luxury jewelry and watch house Chopard. It has been producing sustainably for years, and as of this year, the brand works only with 100 percent fair trade gold.
Text: Wendy van Dalen
Editing: Susan Poeder
Image: GASSAN DiamondsThirty years ago, the jewelry and watch brand already decided to start producing sustainably. From production to finished product, Chopard manages everything itself. "Ethics is a very important part of our family philosophy and it is obviously along with sustainability also a core value for Chopard," says Caroline Scheufele, artistic director and co-president of Chopard.
In 2013, The Journey to Sustainable Luxury was launched to create sustainable supply chains of the gold and gemstones. "We now produce even more sustainably, have established responsible supply chains and thus improve the living conditions of the communities that work for us," says Caroline.
Chopard constantly evaluates whether the production process is being carried out responsibly and intervenes when necessary. For example, with sustainability in mind and in light of the escalating Rohingya crisis in Myanmar, the brand decided in 2017 to stop sourcing gemstones from that country with immediate effect.
Taking the brand one step further, as of 2018, Chopard uses only 100 percent sustainable gold in their jewelry and watches, leading the way in the watch and jewelry industry. Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, co-president of Chopard says he is proud that only responsible gold from small-scale, artisanal mines will be used. These participate in the Swiss Better Gold Association (SBGA), Fairmined and Fairtrade schemes, RJC Chain of Custody, or RJC-certified refineries.Chopard is also the world's largest buyer of Fairmined gold. "It is an important, but also a much-needed commitment if we are to make a difference in the lives of people who make our business possible," said Karl-Friedrich.
In 1860, Chopard was founded by 24-year-old Louis-Ulyssee Chopard, who made beautifully decorated pocket watches and chronometers. Sixty years later, his son Paul-Louis took over the company, and in the 1940s Paul-André, grandson of Louis-Ulysse, took charge. Having no children, he sells the brand in 1963 to Germany's Karl and Karin Scheufele, whose children later take over. Caroline Scheufele additionally heads the jewelry department and her brother Karl-Friedrich is in charge of horology.
Chopard has been producing sustainably for over 30 years and has been a certified member of the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) since 2012. The Journey examines the key impacts of gold mining and gemstones and improves production processes for a more responsible supply chain. Chopard is also working with The Journey to create the first traceable and sustainably produced opals from a family-owned Australian company, and the brand is creating high jewellery items with RJC certified diamonds.
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