Chopard’s Red Carpet Collection

Chopard’s Red Carpet Collection contains a museum-worthy selection of gemstones

By Carol Besler

The Red Carpet is back on again, and even if you’re not a fan of the pomp of awards shows and movie premieres, it’s hard to resist ogling the jewelry. One maker in particular never fails to amaze. As a sponsor of the Cannes Film Festival since 1998, Chopard creates a Red Carpet collection every year, and this year there are 74 outstanding pieces, representing the number of years since the Cannes Festival began. They include rare gems in larger sizes than we’re used to seeing, and in one-of-a-kind combinations, covering the spectrum of cuts, from hearts and cabochons to pears and carved shapes.

Various pieces in this year’s collection, called Paradise, were taken for a spin a bevy of movie stars at the Cannes Festival earlier this year – transforming the Red Carpet to include vibrant tones of blue, green, pink, yellow, purple and orange. Chopard creative director and co-president Caroline Scheufele was inspired by nature for this year’s collection, which includes florals, foliage and cute animals.

Here are some of the highlights. All pieces are set in Fairmined-certified 18k gold or a combination of gold and titanium. Highlights include a spectacular cuff bracelet set with 15 different gemstones in various shapes and sizes, and a floral choker set with a 126.29 ruby and surrounded by 1,068.61 carats of briolette-cut rubies.

This floral choker necklace looks delicious enough to eat. It is set with no less than 1,068.61 carats of briolette-cut rubies, surrounded a central oval-shaped ruby of 126.29 carats, along with round-shaped tsavorites (27.81cts), pink sapphires (22.11cts), amethysts (19.73cts) and rubies (1.11ct).

Left: The Doe necklace is set with 22.58 carats of brilliant-cut brilliant-cut tsavorites, surrounding a doe composed of 20.05 carats of brown diamonds, 2.55 carats of white diamonds and 0.08 carats of black diamonds. It also contains peridot cabochons (20.84cts), a heart-shaped diamond (2.11cts) and a labradorite cabochon (0.48ct).

Right: This floral necklace is set with 8.59 carats of trapeze-cut rubies, 6.65 carats of fancy-cut orange sapphires, 6.10 carats of cabochon-cut rubies and 5.63 carats of marquise-cut pink sapphires. There are also round and pear-shaped yellow sapphires (5.09cts) and round-shaped pink sapphires (2.29cts).

Left: The Leaf necklace is titanium, set with round-shaped peridots (37.54cts), brilliant-cut tsavorites (27.97cts), briolette-cut pink sapphires (23.88cts) and round-shaped pink sapphires (5.11cts).

Right: The 112.27 carat emerald cabochon in this necklace is surrounded by round-shaped, pear-shaped and marquise-cut diamonds totalling 116.81 carats.

Left: This ring is set with one heart-shaped ruby (2.42cts), two pear-shaped diamonds (0.88ct) and brilliant diamonds totaling (0.76ct).

Center: This rose motif ring is made of gold and titanium, set with round-shaped sapphires (22.91cts), fancy intense yellow, white and black diamonds, as well as onyx cabochons.

Right: A floral ring in gold and titanium, centered by a 26.43-carat black opal cabochon, and surrounded by round-shaped yellow sapphires (1.45ct).

Center: The Fire ring is gold and titanium, and set with glorious flame-shaped opals (23.43cts), round-shaped yellow/orange sapphires (4.07cts) and yellow sapphires (6.65cts), round-shaped rubies (2.78cts) and round-shaped yellow diamonds.

Right: This rose gold and titanium is centered by a 43.46-carat opal cabochon, surrounded by round-shaped yellow sapphires (3.36cts), pear-shaped orange sapphires (2.80cts), round-shaped black diamonds (2.55cts), round-shaped rubies (2.65cts), round-shaped orange sapphires (0.85ct) and round-shaped amethysts (0.58ct).

Left: These gold crescent Moon earrings are set with round-shaped yellow-cognac diamonds (35.86cts) and white diamonds (0.10ct).

Center: Gold and titanium earrings set with two heart-shaped yellow diamonds as well as yellow and white diamonds of various cuts.

Right: These titanium chandelier earrings are set with 85.57oval-shaped rhodolites and brilliant-cut pink sapphires (2.65cts).

Left: Titanium Leaf earrings set with round-shaped tsavorites (15.36cts), zircons (7.58cts) and pastel sapphires (3.01cts).

Center: How many colors can you get into one Cuff bracelet?! This one, made of gold and titanium, is set with tsavorites (61.90cts), pastel sapphires (27.72cts), tourmalines (25.60cts), tanzanites (25.60cts), diamonds (14.27cts), white opals (13.60cts), kunzite (12.94cts), amethysts (10.90cts), Mandarin garnets (5.59cts), aquamarines (3.89cts), Paraiba tourmalines (3.18cts), beryls (2.73cts), pink quartz (2.61cts), topaz (2.24cts), citrines (1.39ct) and rubies (0.26ct).

Right: Gold and titanium Fire earrings set with opals (13.04cts), round-shaped yellow sapphires (13.23cts), yellow/orange sapphires (12.99cts), orange sapphires (1.24ct), round-shaped rubies (7.04cts) and colored diamonds (3.15cts).

Left: This gold and titanium bracelets set with a 24.09-carat central cabochon spessartite garnet, surrounded by sculpted mandarin garnets (11.19cts), triangular tsavorites (4.16cts), triangular tourmalines (1.7cts), round lazulites (3.8cts), cabochon sapphires and amethysts.

Center: This gold elephant-themed brooch is centered by a 43.21-carat emerald cabochon, and set with brilliant-cut grey diamonds (19.91cts), yellow diamonds (1.60ct), brilliant-cut pink sapphires (13.58cts) yellow sapphires (3.68cts), moonstones (12.85cts), trapeze-cut orange sapphires (3.63cts) and emerald cabochons (3.62cts).

Right: There is a total of 169.20 cabochon emeralds set into this gold and titanium bracelet, punctuated by round brilliant diamonds.