FORMIDABLE FEMININITY
CHOPARD empowers women from the gold mines of Colombia to Hollywood’s silver screen, and the new Happy Hearts – Golden Hearts Collection will also inspire you to unleash your inner heroine, writes kiran pillay
Chopard is the official partner to the 25th James Bond film, No Time To Die ( 2020), starring Daniel Craig and Knives Out (2019) actress Ana de A rmas. F or t he fi rst t ime i n t he i conic franchise’s luxurious 59-year history, a Bond Woman wears couture jewellery on-screen, deepening Chopard’s connection to international cinema.
The Cuban-Spanish starlet effortlessly shatters conventions as CIA agent Paloma, wielding a machine gun in a floor-length evening gown and dripping with diamonds from Chopard’s Green Carpet Collection, which radiates with an aura of ethical consciousness. Far from the stereotypical Bond girl often relegated to eye candy, Armas plays a realistic, empowered, and capable persona who drives the narrative forward as Bond’s equal.
The three Haute Joaillerie pieces appearing in the blockbuster include a necklace fitted with pear-shaped diamonds totalling 43 carats. Armas also wears a bracelet composed of an 82-carat cascade of pear-shaped and brilliantcut diamonds. The last adornment is a pair of earrings flourished with 14 carats of pear-shaped diamonds that complete her glamorous look.
Caroline Scheufele, Co-President and Artistic Director of Chopard, first initiated the maison’s Journey to Sustainable Luxury in 2013. The Green Carpet Collection was unveiled alongside the initiative, crafted exclusively from responsibly sourced materials, including Fairmined gold.
This gold originates from small-scale operations that ensure that gold extraction occurs under environmentally and ethical conditions. An example of Chopard’s support for artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) gold is the maison’s involvement with the Swiss Better Gold Association (SBGA) and an initiative to source gold from Barequeros in El Chocó, Colombia.
The Barequeros are artisanal gold miners, of which almost half are women. They employ local traditional alluvial mining techniques such as panning and sluicing with handheld tools. These methods do not use mercury, which helps preserve the region’s distinct biodiversity. The Barequeros need a special permit to be legally registered. Only then are they allowed to manually produce and sell up to 420 grams of gold per year.
Under this initiative, the Barequeros contribute to the supply of gold as part of a fully traceable, transparent, and responsible international supply chain. The programme guarantees that the Barequeros receive a competitive price and a special SBGA Better Gold Incentive of US$0.70 per gram. The additional income allows them to reinvest into raising their living and working conditions, economically empowering women in a nation marred by poverty, armed conflict, and gender inequality.
Since July 2018, the Genevan jeweller has successfully established a 100% ethical gold supply chain that safeguards human and labour rights. Today, only Fairmined-certified ethical gold, diamonds and coloured gems sourced from suppliers certified by the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) comprise the maison’s stunning watch and jewellery collections.
As part of the partnership with 007, Caroline Scheufele shares her vision of an empowered James Bond Woman through a collection that expresses courage and determination, designed for a lady ready to overcome all obstacles in her way. The limited-edition Happy Hearts – Golden Hearts collection plays on the Happy Hearts collection, geared towards the everyday heroine.
With a Midas touch, Caroline Scheufele fills the iconic Happy Hearts motif with ethical rose gold. The limitededition pendants discreetly hide an iconic 007 logo on the reverse like a secret to keep close to heart. The designs are lightweight and versatile in their elegant style, serving as the perfect talismans to enhance a woman’s confidence and inner strength.
The Happy Hearts Golden Hearts Collection comprises a bracelet, earrings, pendant, and sautoir necklace. Each piece pairs a big golden heart with a smaller version containing a signature dancing diamond that exudes freedom and adventure as it spins according to the wearer’s movement. An alternative version resembles the initial design with an addition of delicately set diamonds framing the motif.
Without a doubt, Chopard continues to play a critical role in empowering women at every level. From advocating for responsibly sourced materials, expanding on economic opportunities for vulnerable women in the gold mining industry, highlighting women in media that are paving the way to break stereotypes, to reminding women to feel confident, Chopard lauds women as courageous characters with hearts of gold, capable of changing the world.