precious jewellery set ever manufactured by
Chopard. When I touched this incredible stone for the first
time, I felt its strong energy.
What are the dos and don’ts of wearing jewellery?
I would say that jewellery first of all should underline the
personality. Personally, I like to mix and match pieces
together, mixing casual with more sophisticated creations.
Each woman should follow her own style.
Can you tell us about your meeting with Hollywood star
Elizabeth Taylor at the Cannes Film Festival?
This is one of my favourite stories to tell. One year,
Elizabeth Taylor wanted to see some creations, but she
insisted on me going to her villa to show them to her. As I
started to lay all the pieces out on a table, Elizabeth’s little
dog was running around and I could just picture in my
head, ‘What if the dog was to put one of these pieces in his
mouth and that would be the end of it …?’ It was
something out of a movie but one of my favourite
encounters. She was a woman who loved jewellery,
particularly diamonds, and she wore them with a very
unique style.
You’ve partnered with the festival for the past 21 years. What
does that association mean to you?
First, I am a passionate film-lover and I must admit that
this long-term relationship is very close to my heart. As
official partner, we not only craft the Palme d’Or, but we
also launched the Chopard Trophy in 2001 to reward two
young acting talents every year. I love seeing a piece come
to life and being worn on the red carpet. It is our most
beautiful showcase.
Your lifestyle must be frenetic. Can you give us a glimpse of
your schedule?
I don’t have a typical schedule. Yes, there is much
travelling, involving up to four or five planes a week if I
am visiting the U.S. or Asia. I often attend evening
functions and during the day I usually meet with team
members, clients or partners, but I always do my best to
attend our family Sunday lunch in Geneva.
Did you always know you wanted to become a jeweller?
I always knew that I wanted to be in a creative field. As a
teenager, I designed my first piece of jewellery: a clown
pendant set with precious stones dancing in his belly
called the Happy Clown. I still recall and cherish it.
After my father secretly manufactured it for me as a
surprise, I realised that this was my calling and, indeed,
this propelled me into the creative world of jewellery and
high jewellery. I will always be very proud of this piece as
it served later - in 1985 - as the basis for an extensive
Happy Diamonds collection, which turned out to be the
start of jewellery at Chopard. The clown was followed by
the elephant, the ladybird, the teddy bear and the much-
cerished heart, and probably also the first of my beloved
Animal World Collection, the monkey pendant.
Is it true you design every piece yourself, using pen and
paper?
It is indeed. You know, my biggest love are the gemstones;
they speak to me. Often, I spend time studying them and
thinking of various designs. Their unique properties and
stories are very special to me and inspire me to draw
creations in my sketchbook that I carry everywhere. These
sketches later come to life thanks to our highly skilled
artisans in Geneva. It is truly magic being a part of this
process from start to finish.
What inspires you?
My inspiration comes from many sources. Travelling from
country to country, I am fortunate to meet people from
different cultures – and this, along with nature and art, is
an important source of inspiration for my designs.
Do you have a favourite piece of jewellery?
I have many favourite pieces, but I particularly cherish
The Animal World Collection, our high jewellery signature
collection, unveiled in 2010 for Chopard’s 150th
anniversary. I designed it entirely and it was a tremendous
success. Another piece dear to me is the Queen of
Kalahari, a very rare 342-carat rough diamond of perfect
D colour and absolute purity, which was cut into 23
diamonds – The Garden of Kalahari [necklace] – five of
which weigh over 20 carats. It turned out to be the most