The Desert Flower
They say the flower that blooms in the face of adversity is the rarest and most beautiful of all. This is a tale of how Chopard eventually found its most precious jewellery set ever produced
They call it The Queen of Kalahari. For an ultrarare 342-carat diamond discovered at a large, semi-arid sandy savannah in southern Africa, there is no other name that could be more fitting. “I immediately sensed that this was an incredibly rare gem of exceptional beauty and purity,” says Caroline Scheufele, recalling her first encounter with the stone found at the heart of the mine in Karowe, Botswana. Born of the volcanic rock known as kimberlite, formed at high temperatures and pressure across time, this diamond was eventually bestowed a name fit for its qualities by Scheufele herself. “The energy and emotional charge emanating from this gem is truly incomparable,” she enthused. It was love at first sight. The Queen of Kalahari combines D colour (the most beautiful) with grade F (flawless) clarity. “This is a truly exceptional stone, but we did not wish to treat it as a mere trophy, instead we prepared it for a destiny worthy of its stature,” added Scheufele. Following Chopard’s reputation for artistic craft, technical virtuosity and Scheufele’s personal