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There are certain items that serve a purpose that transcends practicalities. A fine piece of jewellery serves as an obvious mark of wealth and status as opposed to being a mere fashion accessory; a luxury watch tells others of affluence and taste even as it tells the wearer the time. Such items often become heirlooms to be passed down a family line, with even the companies that produce them becoming recognisable brands in their own right. New luxury products need to walk a fine line between taking advantage of modern innovation and remaining true to a legacy of craftsmanship, while also adhering to ethical and sustainable standards.

Founded in 1860 and under family ownership since 1963, luxury manufacturer Chopard understands the importance of legacy and sustainability; both concepts clearly intertwined for the owning family, with sustainability a consistent priority. Chopard’s Co-President, Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, explains: “We want to provide authentic products at reasonable, correct prices; sustainably sourced products and, most of all, we want to be innovative, we want to be creative.”

In pursuit of its goals, Chopard engages into collaboration with a variety of other organisations.

To ensure sustainable products, Chopard uses 100% ethical gold in the production of all its watches and jewellery. In pursuit of this endeavour, the company partners with groups like the Swiss Better Gold Association, a network of institutions that support the responsible gold value chain from mine to market, and the Barequeros, a group of gold panners in Colombia who obtain gold without using chemicals – filling the socio-environmental requirements of Chopard’s ethical commitment.

Another of Chopard’s goals is to make the planet better, cleaner, and safer. In service of such a goal, the luxury provider is partnering with the Alpine Eagle Foundation. In addition to providing assistance to eagles, the foundation trains them to soar above the Alps with cameras, gathering never-before seen visuals of the effects of climate change on this region, and raising awareness of the reality facing today’s environment.

With environmental and sociological issues becoming increasingly well-publicised, this is having an effect on the way luxury items and their providers are being regarded by the public. “The younger generation” says Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, “is very much asking what products are made of, where raw materials come from, whether these products in a way harm possibly our planet.” Chopard is taking such scrutiny in its stride by engaging with its partners and honouring its ethical and environmental commitments.

Chopard consistently proves itself as a company that values its legacy as a family-owned institution, practicing and transmitting in-house over 50 different crafts thanks to their skillful Artisans while engaging with new methods and ways of making beautiful and elegant products in sustainable and ethical manner.