Chopard has unveiled the Insofu Collection, an Haute Joaillerie collection crafted from a single raw emerald. This extraordinary line marks the second time in the Maison’s history that an entire high jewelry collection has been created from one uncut gemstone.
The story of the Insofu Collection began in 2022 in Paris when Caroline Scheufele, Co-President and Artistic Director of Chopard, introduced a breathtaking 6,225-carat rough emerald unearthed in Zambia. The emerald was named Insofu—the Bemba word for elephant—in honor of the stone’s remarkable trunk-like form and extraordinary scale.
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The Insofu collection comprises 15 exquisite creations: five pairs of earrings, four necklaces, three rings, a bracelet and a jewelry watch, with each piece revealing a different facet of the Insofu Emerald’s character, drawing inspiration from nature’s fluid lines, abstract forms and the refined geometry of Art Deco. By working from a raw stone, Chopard ensures full transparency and closer collaboration with the supply chain’s earliest stages.
This collection follows Chopard’s Garden of Kalahari series, created in 2017 from a 342-carat rough diamond. However, while a raw diamond’s yield can be determined with scientific precision, a raw emerald presents a far greater challenge, revealing its true potential only through the meticulous cutting process.
To undertake this ambitious endeavor, Chopard assembled some of the world’s most skilled gem-cutters from India, who carefully studied the emerald in the brand’s Geneva workshops. Over nearly a year, they assessed the stone, proposing cuts that would best showcase its natural beauty while preserving its unique soul and ultimately, the Insofu gem yielded 850 carats of breathtaking emeralds which could be used in Chopard’s collection.
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“In every stone lies a story, and my role is to listen and honor the natural magic they carry as treasures from the Earth,” says Caroline Scheufele. “With the Insofu Collection, it was about respecting this inherent beauty. I chose the finest quality stones from the heart of the emerald, pairing them with diamonds, pink sapphires, and pearls.”
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At the heart of the collection is an elephant-shaped pendant, a tribute to the gem’s name. This signature piece showcases emeralds of various cuts and sizes, framed by shimmering diamonds that form the elephant’s tusks. Suspended from a long chain interspersed with emeralds and diamonds, the pendant is ingeniously designed to transform into a brooch.
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Other highlights include Art Deco-inspired chokers, flowing necklaces that graze the waist in a nod to the Roaring Twenties, statement cuffs, bold cocktail rings, and showstopping earrings.
