Chopard L.U.C XPS Poinçon de Genève 125th Anniversary Edition (161932-5001)

For the Geneva-based watch and jewelery house, which enjoys a special relationship with the movie world in general and the Cannes Film Festival in particular, it seemed only natural to commemorate this exceptional milestone on La Croisette. It is here that its most dazzling creations are revealed each year. More than ever with this 2010 edition, actresses and onlookers will be treated to a truly stunning array of new creations. In addition to the Red Carpet Collection 2010, comprising a truly avant-garde model, Chopard will present its fabulous "Animal World Collection" specially designed for its 150th jubilee year.

Alongside the actual filmmaking competition, Chopard invites us to a festival of creativity and beauty providing a further demonstration of its expertise in the ultra-sophisticated field of Haute Joaillerie. Eager to offer the best of its know-how, the company has called upon the full range of its in-house talents and drawn upon its wealth of experience mingling time-honored techniques, cutting-edge technologies and carefully documented research, while pushing its taste for excellence and novelty to unprecedented heights.
An avant-garde work of Haute Joaillerie
It has now become a well-established ritual: each year since the 60th anniversary of the legendary filmmaking competition, Caroline Gruosi-Scheufele, Chopard co-president and art director, unveils a new Haute Joaillerie collection directly inspired by movie stars. Adorning the world's greatest actresses during the mythical mounting of the steps, these daring and poetic creations lend a unique glow to the red carpet of the Palais des Festivals.

One of the major creations in the new Red Carpet Collection is undoubtedly a necklace featuring sparkling water lilies. This titanium piece entirely set with diamonds, sapphires and tanzanites - 6,200 stones in all - sets the scene for an amazing dance of aquatic plants and jellyfish. The delicate marriage between gemstones and materials such as gold and titanium gives rise to a superbly subtle array of colors ranging from light purple through Prussian blue and faded blue to pristine white.
To create this avant-garde work of art, a plethora of designers, sculptors, jewellers, gold casters, gem-setters, polishers and gem-cutters worked close together using a blend of traditional techniques and innovative methods such as digitalization and computer modeling. Six full months of work were lavished on making this spectacular piece.
 
Animal World Collection
For its 150th anniversary, Chopard has remained loyal to its customary bold approach by rising to a new challenge through a collection of 150 unique creations on the theme of animals, a world it had never before explored. The most emblematic creations in this special edition will of course be making the trip down La Croisette.

Ably assisted by the designers of the Haute Joaillerie department, Caroline Gruosi-Scheufele immersed herself in specialized encyclopedias in order to compose an original, attractive and playful bestiary. Rather than taking the easy path, Chopard wished to stand out by providing original depictions of animals rarely appearing on jewelery models: clown fish, hippopotami, tortoises, macaques… Once the sketches were complete, it was time to source the materials and gems (quartz, kunzites, tsavorites, moonstones) that would best reproduce the colourful exuberance of nature. And finally, Chopard's jewelery workshops meticulously and rigorously crafted each of the creations, harmoniously blending metals, stones and colours in order to form not merely a piece of jewelery, but a genuine miniature work of art. To achieve
this feat, the artisans once again pushed the boundaries of their expertise by combining traditional techniques such as lacquering, pearl weaving and stone sculpture with modern technologies such as 3D modeling and titanium casting.
The result is a vibrantly colorful collection brimming with imagery and featuring species from around the world depicted in bracelets, necklaces, brooches, earrings and rings. With this amazing jungle, Chopard has reached more than ever before its supreme goal: creating and nurturing dreams.