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Animal World Collection ( Included a video of Yellow Duck ring)
Launched to celebrate Chopard’s 150th anniversary, this Haute Joaillerie
collection aroused such tremendous enthusiasm – as much among devotees
of rare jewels, as well as with the designers and artisans who worked to
create them – that Chopard has decided to prolong the pleasure… To
everyone’s delight, the company will thus be continuing its
extraordinary journey through the animal kingdom, inviting new species
to join the party and continuing to explore this world of mystery,
playfulness and infinite beauty that has earned it such universal
acclaim. This extension of the collection also serves as a reminder of
the jeweller’s commitment to nature conservation
Drawing upon the
creativity, sensitivity and skill of all those involved, from the
designer through to the polisher, the making of this unique collection
represents an impressive sum of technical and hand-crafted features and a
profusion of ideas backed by in-depth research.
While gold and
diamonds are highlighted in many models, various more unexpected
materials and gemstones such as pearls, moonstones, red gold and
precious wood have been enlisted in giving vibrant life to the
multi-coloured exuberance of nature imagined by Caroline
Gruosi-Scheufele and her team of designers. Alternately realistic,
imaginary, or humorous, these new animal interpretations are often
clothed in shimmering colours – witness the adorable little revolving
duck ring featuring a clever blend of precious and fine gemstones.
Sparkling with yellow diamonds and orange sapphires, the creation
reminds of a child’s rubber ring appearing to be floating playfully
across a blue topaz swimming pool. This aquatic allusion is beautifully
reconstituted by the Paraiba tourmalines, amethysts and lazulites
covering the body of the ring.
A short video of the adorable Yellow Duck Ring
The models in the Animal World Collection are more than just splendid pieces of jewellery: They are miniature paintings telling extraordinary tales. To ensure they are as wonderful to look at as they are pleasant to wear, the artisans push the limits of their expertise by combining traditional skills such as lacquering, gem setting, pearl weaving and gemstone sculptures with more modern technologies such as 3D modelling and titanium casting.
The peacock bracelet alone, one of the stellar new models, called for hundreds of hours of study and work. The delicate tail of the proud winged creature appears to wrap itself endlessly around the wrist like a feather-light piece of lacework. Covered with around 50 small tapering feathers, the underlying structure and the clasp of the bangle remain completely invisible. Completely adorning the bird with 7,500 stones called for the use of 0.5 mm Paraiba tourmalines, tsavorites and emeralds – a size that is virtually impossible to find.
Each animal to be created represents a new challenge for the goldsmiths, rhodium specialists, chainmakers and gem setters. Thanks to their exceptional jewellery-making mastery based upon deriving the best possible advantage from shapes, colours and materials, the artisans labouring in the Chopard workshops manage to give life to the animals they shape by endowing them with distinctive gestures, expressions and emotions. The larger than life bear-cub ring was first sculpted in wax before being cast in gold. A jewellery prototype-maker than patiently fashioned and worked on creating the delightfully clumsy gait of the small mammal. Initially available in a “polar bear” version, this charming animal now appears clothed in a warm coat of brown diamonds set on rose gold.
The equally irresistible Owl watch, which won the Jewellery Watch Award in the Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix, appears this year in a vivid pink colour. Mounted on a fuchsia-pink strap, this model blessed with extreme aesthetics now comes in versions featuring trapeze-cut rubies and diamonds. Thus enhanced in shades of pink and purple, the gaze of this stoical great horned owl is more mesmerising than ever.
With a jewel like this one the wrist, even telling the time might entail crossing the border into the world of dreams… And isn’t Chopard’s ultimate jewellery vocation precisely about creating dreams?
For the Ladies - Chopard Basel 2011 Novelties ...
Imperiale Full Set with the first Chopard Movement
Imperial Two-Tone and Dainty 28mm
Happy Sport Oval
Mille Miglia Racing in Pink
Animal World Collection ( Included a video of Yellow Duck ring)
It's good to see Chopard branding the LUC range on the dials now