It’s the story of an absolute stone, The Queen of Kalahari diamond. This ultra-rare 342-carat diamond provides the stones for the most precious jewellery set ever produced by Chopard – The Garden of Kalahari. Each of 23 gems, like the diamond from which they originate, is of absolute colour and purity. D-colour and Flawless diamond Queen of Kalahari bears a name that refers to the desert that is home to the Karowe Mine, as well as a tribute to the female miner who discovered it.
Chopard’s Garden of Kalahari
Among these 23 diamonds, five are above 20 carats: a 50-carat round brilliant, a 26-carat heart shape, a 25-carat pear, a 21-carat emerald cut and a 20-carat cushion. Each of these represents a different flower, from the sunflower (round brilliant) to the poppy (cushion cut). “Faced with this rough diamond, we had a number of potential options. I wanted to explore every possibility and to represent all diamond cuts.” This transformation stemming from the fertile imagination of Caroline Scheufele once again testifies to the artistic vocation and savoir-faire of the Maison Chopard. From the rough stone to the completed jewellery model, this transfiguration of the original matter is made possible by virtuoso technical skills dedicated to the cause of unfettered creativity.
Chopard’s Garden of Kalahari
Drawing upon the virtuosity cultivated in the field of artistic craft that has forged Chopard’s reputation, six fabulous pieces of jewellery have emerged from the High Jewellery workshops of the Maison. The centrepiece of this collection throbs gently near the heart of its wearer. The Garden of Kalahari necklace testifies to the ingenuity and the playful spirit governing Chopard design. This model is playfully interpreted in four variations, the first of which is a gorgeous and supremely modern choker to be worn alone. The necklace can built up with further rows of petal-shaped diamonds, or adorned with a detachable flower, from which it’s possible to hang one, two or three pendants. The pear and heart pendants can in turn be attached to the crescent-shaped earrings, creating a strikingly mismatched pair of drop earrings.
This collection is further enriched by a cuff bracelet adorned with two emerald-cut diamonds; two rings of which one bears the 20-carat cushion-cut diamond; and of course an astonishing secret watch that is as delicate by nature as it was to create.
In total, it took over 3,200 hours to create the Gardens of Kalahari collection.
Chopard’s Garden of Kalahari
