Chopard paves the way as one of the first luxury watch and jewellery brands to promise 100% ethical gold, as announced at this year’s Baselworld. What does this mean in an industry where the term ‘ethical’ is often used? Chopard defines “Ethical Gold” as gold acquired from responsible sources, verified as having met international best practice environmental and social standards. From July this year, the Maison’s gold will be sourced from one of two routes – Artisanal freshly mined gold from small-scale mines participating in the Swiss Better Gold Association (SBGA), Fairmined and Fairtrade schemes, and RJC Chain of Custody gold, through Chopard’s partnership with RJC-certified refineries.
“As a family run business, ethics have always been an important part of our family philosophy. Naturally, we have always put ethics at the heart of the values of Chopard,” said Caroline Scheufele, co-president and creative director of Chopard. “True luxury comes only when you know the handprint of your supply chain and I am very proud of our gold sourcing programme. As creative director of the brand, I am so proud to share the stories behind each beautiful piece to our customers and know they will wear these stories with pride”.
