Chopard is committed to its ethical use of gold

Today, the Swiss house of Chopard revealed that, starting from July 2018, it will use 100% ethically mined gold in the manufacture of its watches and jewelry creations.

As a family business, sustainability has always been a core value of Chopard, which culminates today with the vision it launched more than 30 years ago.

Chopard friends and supporters such as Colin and Livia Firth and Julianne Moore, models and activists such as Arizona Moss and Noella Corsaris, and Chinese singer Rui Wang, attended her landmark announcement on the use of 100% ethical gold, made jointly by Chopard Co-Chairs Caroline Scheufele and Karl- Frederic Scheufele in front of a large audience during the activities of the “Baselworld” exhibition of watches and jewelry in Switzerland, and they talked about how Chopard was able to achieve this important feat.

Chopard Ethical Gold
Chopard defines “ethical gold” as gold imported from responsible sources that have been verified to meet the best international standards and social and environmental practices.

As of July 2018, the gold that Chopard uses to manufacture its products will be imported from one of two routes that can be traced:
1. Gold miners freshly extracted from small mines that fall under the “Swiss Better Gold Association” (SBGA) schemes and projects for fair gold mining and trading.
2. The Responsible Jewelery Industry Council (RJC) chain of gold guaranty through Chopard's partnership with RJC-accredited mines.

In order to increase its contribution to initiatives to improve the conditions of miners, and thus contribute to increasing the proportion of gold extracted in an ethical manner, Chopard joined the “Swiss Association for Better Gold” in 2017. Speaking during the press conference, Karl-Friedrich Scheufele said, Co-President of Chopard: “We are proud to be able to say that as of July 2018, all the gold we use will be gold mined in a responsible manner.” Chopard's vision is to increase the proportion of miners' gold purchased by the house as much as possible so that it becomes more available on the market. Today, Chopard is the largest buyer of fair mining gold. "It's a bold commitment, but one we must pursue if we want to make a difference to the lives of the people who make our business possible," he added.

He added, “We have been able to achieve this thanks to the development of a vertical integration approach that enables the entire production process to be carried out within the house more than 30 years ago, as well as the investment in mastering all the crafts within the house’s facilities; From establishing a gold-casting division within the Maison’s facilities since 1978, to developing the skills of fine jewelry artisans and high-end watchmakers.” Chopard's creations of watches and jewelry are masterfully crafted in-house, which means the Maison's unique ability to ensure control and control of all production processes from the manufacturing stage to the final product; Thus controlling the gold used in their products.

Caroline Scheufele, Co-President, Chopard, continued: “As a family business, Ethics has always been an important part of our family philosophy. So it was only natural that we put ethics at the heart of Chopard’s values.”

She added: “The real luxury comes when you realize the impact of your supply chain, and I am proud of our gold sourcing programme. As Chopard's Creative Director, I am proud to share with our customers the stories behind every piece we produce; I know that they will be proud to wear these pieces, as they bear unique stories.”

As part of its commitment to ethical use of gold, Chopard presented new creations of High Jewelery in the Green Carpet Collection at Baselworld made exclusively of fairmined gold, as well as the luxury LUC Full Strike and Happy Palm watches.

In 2013, Chopard made a long-term decision to invest directly in artisanal miners' gold, to bring more of it to market. Providing financial and technical resources in partnership with the Alliance for Responsible Mining, Chopard has been directly responsible for a number of FMC-certified smaller mines. This has allowed small mining communities to sell gold at a premium price not to mention ensuring that the mining process is conducted in compliance with the strict environmental and social conditions stipulated under the certificate. Chopard also helped establish new trade routes from its mines in South America, introducing traceable products into Europe and providing more financial income to local communities.

Today, Chopard is proud to announce its collaboration with the Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM) to support and enable a new artisanal mine to achieve Certification for Fair Mining - the CASMA mine located in the Ancás region of Peru - where Chopard will provide training, sponsorship and environmental protection. Through the direct support of Chopard, many mines have been able to obtain the Fair Mining Certificate to date, including: Cooperativa Multiactiva Agrominera de Iquira and Coodmilla Mining Cooperative in Colombia. By investing in collaboration with the Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM) on the formalization of mining organizations and their communities, Chopard has brought hope to these forgotten communities on the fringes of society, helping them to lead a decent living under the guise of legitimacy.