he substance that possesses the greatest value (…) is adamas (…) Next in esteem with us are the pearls of India and Arabia (…) The third rank, for many reasons, has been given to the smaragdus. Indeed there is no stone, the colour of which is more delightful to the eye; for whereas the sight fixes itself with avidity upon the green grass and the foliage of the trees, we have all the more pleasure in looking upon the smaragdus, there being no green in existence of a more intense colour than this.” Pliny the Elder, The Natural History, Volume Two, Book XXXVII, Chapter 16, translated by John Bostock and H. T. Riley.

Caroline Scheufele, Chopard co-president and artistic director

Photo: ©Alex Teuscher

The jewellery in the Insofu Collection began its journey 500 million years ago, in the depths of Earth, in Zambia, and it is a truly breathtaking sight.

It wasn’t until 2010 that this 6,225-carat raw emerald saw daylight at the Kagem mine, from where its journey could commence. In 2018 Caroline Scheufele, Chopard co-president and artistic director, decided to purchase the rough stone, which had been given the name Insofu, meaning elephant in Bemba, the language of the people who live in the region where the stone originated. She entrusted this wonder of nature to expert emerald cutters from Jaipur. Once the cut stones had revealed their full splendour, the choreography that presides over the creation of a high jewellery collection was set in motion: sketches, gouaches, brass sculptures, gold casts, engraving, gem-setting, polishing and more.

In 2018 Caroline Scheufele, Chopard co-president and artistic director, purchased a 6,225-carat rough emerald which was discovered at Kagem, one of the world’s largest emerald mines, and given the name Insofu, meaning elephant. She entrusted this wonder of nature to expert emerald cutters from Jaipur who worked on the stone at Chopard’s workshops in Meyrin and in Jaipur.

Photo: ©Chopard

The result of this meticulous process was revealed, before our eyes, on a grey January day inside Chopard’s workshops in Meyrin: jewellery crafted from the most extraordinarily beautiful stones. One piece in particular stood out: a ring set with a heart-shaped emerald. The stone is a gorgeous saturated green and, a rarity, has almost no inclusions. The classic design of one pair of earrings allows a duo of emerald-cut emeralds, a perfect match, to shine while another pair displays two blued titanium flowers with, at their centre, a superb emerald-cut emerald complete with pear-cut emerald pistils.

One of the world’s largest emerald mines, Kagem is operated by Gemfields. Chopard entered into a partnership with the British company in 2016 as part of its Journey to Sustainable Luxury. And to guarantee the traceability of the raw stone unearthed there, Chopard enlisted the services of Swiss specialist Gübelin; the inventor of a unique method of synthetic DNA-based nanoparticles which are injected into the stone, at the mine, as a guarantee of origin.

Purchasing this rough was not without risk, as the emerald is a dark stone whose potential is revealed only after it has been cut. Caroline Scheufele entrusted this task to Indian cutters who worked on the stone both at Chopard’s workshops in Meyrin and in Jaipur. She describes its journey…

Europa Star Jewellery: The Insofu emerald was found in 2010. What were the circumstances of its acquisition in 2018?

Caroline Scheufele: I knew that a longstanding partner and old friend kept the stone hidden away in a safe. When he showed it to me, I told him something had to be made from it. Negotiations took some time, as he wasn’t entirely sure that he wanted to sell, but he also knew how passionate I was about gemstones. He’d followed the narrative we created around the Queen of Kalahari diamond [a rare 342-carat diamond that gave rise to a collection in 2017] and agreed to sell me the Insofu.

Three exceptional emeralds have been unearthed at the Kagem mine in Zambia: the 6,225-carat Insofu in 2010; the 5,655-carat Inkalamu in 2018 and the 7,525-carat Chipembele in 2021. Have you seen the other two?

One belongs to the same person who sold me the Insofu. First I’ll finish this collection then we’ll see…

Whereas technology can map out the best way to cut a rough diamond, this isn’t an option with emerald because of its dark colour. There is also the risk that an emerald will split during cutting, because of its inclusions. How do you weigh up these factors when purchasing a raw emerald?

You have to be prepared to take risks from time to time. Shining a light through the stone reveals the green colour around the edges but the centre remains dark, mysterious. You just have to trust your luck and, to a certain degree, follow your heart. The Queen of Kalahari diamond was the beginning of a story that I wanted to continue with a different precious stone.

This central element from a necklace, surrounded by pink sapphires and emeralds, holds an extraordinary 15.53-carat octagonal emerald.

Did you leave the cutting process entirely in the hands of the cutters?

Absolutely. I contacted two Indian emerald cutters who I know and who come from a long line of cutters. As young boys, they were already learning how to analyse a stone. They have been cutting emeralds for more than 30 years, one from the age of 15 and the other from the age of seventeen. A stone such as this can only ever be entrusted to the very best in their field.

Did they travel to Meyrin or did you send the emerald to Jaipur?

They came to Meyrin. They would stay for a few weeks, go back to India, come back to Meyrin… This went on for months. They sat on the studio floor, with the tools they brought with them. Tools that were made by hand. In fact everything they do is by hand.

How did you feel when they made the first cut?

They spent over a week sitting on the floor, studying the stone, turning it in all directions and talking between themselves. At one point I was wondering when they were actually going to begin! (laughs) The notion of time is very different in India. Their culture means they wouldn’t cut a stone on a Wednesday, for example. Then one day they announced that they were ready to begin. Once cut, it was a completely different stone. Another story was starting to emerge. Cutting a stone is always a lengthy process that depends entirely on the eye and the hand. Of all the precious stones, emeralds are the most fragile. They have to be cut in stages. One wrong move and they can shatter into dozens of pieces.

A jewel from the Insofu Collection

There is always part of a raw stone that isn’t used. How many carats did the 6,225-carat rough yield?

We obtained around 850 carats of beautiful stones and have used 230 carats in the capsule collection, certain of which exhibit a magnificent green. For example, the ring features a stunning heart-shaped emerald in a highly saturated shade that is virtually free from inclusions, which is extremely rare. It’s one of my favourites. Of course, it was a beautiful rough and we knew it would yield superb stones but again, there was always an element of risk. Nothing is certain. You revealed the first suite to be made with stones from this rough, co-designed with actress Julia Roberts, at Watches and Wonders in April 2024. There are 15 pieces in the new capsule collection.

How many will there be in total?

We will add to the collection in stages, with the other cut stones. There will be watches, too, and we’ll use the smaller gems for pavés. We purchased the Insofu in 2018 and I wanted to start showing some of the gorgeous jewellery to come out of it, but I can’t yet say how many pieces we will create in all.

A pair of earrings from the Insofu Collection

Very few jewellers buy rough stones. Why is that?

It’s a different profession entirely. An adventure. Most of the time, jewellers buy cut stones at events such as GemGenève. I also have to keep our Journey to Sustainable Luxury in mind.

The advantage of buying a rough stone is that you know its mine of origin. Is the Insofu traceable?

We work with Gübelin, which has developed a DNA-based system [Provenance Proof]. Thanks to this new technology, we can trace every stone the rough yields and know that it was cut from the Insofu. Traceability is important for everyone, including the end customer. A person doesn’t just buy a piece of jewellery. They want to know where it originated, its story from the mine to the cut stone.

The stunning heart-shaped emerald centrestone of this ring exhibits a highly saturated shade and is extremely rare for the virtual absence of inclusions.

Are there other benefits?

Yes. It’s extremely difficult to find two emeralds of almost identical colour and size on the market, to make a pair of earrings, for example. These two pear-shaped emeralds will almost certainly become earrings. One was a tiny bit larger than the other, so we had it slightly recut. With a rough stone, we can have that perfect matching pair.

You began your Journey to Sustainable Luxury in 2013. In 2016 you entered into a partnership with Gemfields for the acquisition of coloured gemstones — diamonds, Australian opals, Mozambique rubies and Paraiba sapphires — which are now part of this journey. You use only ethical gold for your watches and jewellery. How far do you intend to go, to make your profession as ethical as possible?

There is no finish line. Much remains to be done, which is why we call our initiative Journey to Sustainable Luxury. Coloured and semi-precious stones form a vast world. I take the same approach for my Caroline’s Couture collection. If I need two metres of fabric for a gown, then I order two metres, not 25 metres and throw away what I don’t use. My brother is very much part of the journey. In 2019 he launched Lucent Steel™, a recycled steel that we use to manufacture all our steel watches. But none of this happens overnight. You must find the right partners. There are more and more governmental controls, more and more regulations. Chopard committed to sustainability early on and so we have a bit of a head start.

When you sat down to design the collection, what was the first piece you thought of?

The elephant pendant, which transforms into a brooch. The elephant’s trunk is raised, which is said to represent good fortune. Insofu means elephant in Bemba, so it was a way of paying tribute to the emerald’s origin. Initially we had planned to present the collection at the Oscars in Los Angeles, but after the terrible wildfires there it would have been in very poor taste. Instead we will show it at Paris Fashion Week then in London. Part of the proceeds will be donated to Elephant Family [a charity jointly presided by Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla] in support of its work to preserve endangered Asian wildlife.

An elephant-shaped pendant, a tribute to the Insofu name, that transforms into a brooch. This signature piece is set with emeralds in various sizes and outlined with diamonds. The elephant’s raised trunk symbolises good fortune.

In what ways do you feel the collection is a homage to the Insofu?

I try to design pieces that are worthy of this raw stone; that possess the same magic and mystique.

What emotions do these magnificent cut emeralds inspire?

Emerald is my favourite coloured stone. Its green tones are those of nature. Emeralds are full of life. Look closely and you’ll see they contain inclusions, which we call the emerald’s jardin [garden]. There is so often beauty in imperfection. Emeralds are fragile and must be treated with care.

What will be the next episode in this exploration of rough stones?

There are four precious stones: diamond, ruby, sapphire and emerald. We’d already imagined one story around diamond and now this one, centred around emerald. I’d love a Mozambique ruby to be the inspiration for the next chapter.