Chopard Makes Ethical-Gold Commitment

RAPAPORT… Chopard has vowed to use 100% ethically sourced gold in all of
its jewelry and watch collections by the end of July, the company said last
week.

The jeweler has created an in-house gold foundry that will give
it complete oversight of all processes from the manufacturing stage to the
finished product.

“As a family-run business, ethics have always been an
important part of our family philosophy,” said copresident and creative
director Caroline Scheufele during a press conference at the Baselworld jewelry and
watch fair. “The luxury comes only when you know the handprint of your supply
chain, and I am very proud of our gold-sourcing program.”

Beginning in July, Chopard will procure its gold from only
two traceable sources. One is artisanal freshly mined metal from small mines
participating in the Swiss Better Gold Association (SBGA), Fairmined and
Fairtrade schemes. The other is gold from the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC)
Chain of Custody, through Chopard’s partnership with RJC-certified refineries.

Celebrity supporters of the brand, including Colin Firth and
Julianne Moore, attended the Baselworld conference.

In February, Human Rights Watch ranked Chopard as
“weak” in a report examining the sourcing practices of 13 leading jewelry
companies.