It was in the superb Chopard boutique on Place Vendôme that it was unveiled during an exhibition very simply and aptly called "Exceptional Stones", bringing together exceptional stones from all over the world. This exceptional and rare stone was discovered in Zambia in the Kagem mine. It is one of the largest ever found, not only in weight but also in quality. Its potential is extraordinary and there is no doubt that remarkable gems can be carved from its heart. The Chopard Insofu Emerald is truly the stone of all possibilities. In Zambia, the fertility of the geological strata is incredible: 500 million years ago, the nurturing cocoon of unborn precious stones was already forming. It was there, in the open-air deposit of Kagem, in the heart of this rich and preserved biotope, that this emerald was found in 2010.

The Kagem mine is managed by the Gemfields company, a leader in the extraction of emeralds. Gemfields has established the foundations of responsible mining practices in Zambia. For Chopard, it was a duty to fulfil.

Unlike a diamond, the analysis of which makes it possible to precisely determine the rendering of the final stones, the emerald is a dark stone, which will only reveal its full potential during the cutting process. It is also the most fragile stone: a cut in the wrong place can shatter it into a multitude of irreparable shards.

The Insofu emerald, a translation of the word "elephant" from the Bemba language, the local ethnicity of the region of origin of this emerald. 

The Insofu emerald is a real challenge for Caroline Scheufele. The artistic director and co-president of Chopard will accompany each step of the work on the precious stone to the jewellery, from the cutting process to the final gems, which will inspire her to imagine the Haute Joaillerie collections...

While waiting to discover the result which could be very soon, who knows, we admire this sumptuous necklace of emeralds from Colombia. Seven for a total of 122 carats, surrounded by 170 diamonds… Or this sapphire heart from Sri Lanka in a royal blue "vivid blue" and weighing 60 carats, highlighted by 74 diamonds. Sumptuous ornaments that dazzle with their size, but it is not necessarily the size of the stones that makes them valuable. It is the stones highlighted alongside them in the showcases that are extraordinary.

Like this cushion-cut Ceylon sapphire of 21.04 carats, which is just sublime. This unheated stone spreads its charms like a talisman with a timeless and simple setting of diamonds.

Another remarkable piece from the collection, a pink diamond of 10.88 carats. Radiant cut, a variant of the rectangular cut articulated around 70 facets - more than normal - the "Carolina Rose" offers itself to the light by revealing all its intense fancy color and clarity, grade VVS1 on the Gemological Institute of America scale. The name is a tribute to the woman who gave birth to jewelery and High Jewelery at Chopard and to her favourite symbol the rose, the "Caroline Rose", a pure beauty that takes place at the center of a Fairmined certified ethical gold ring.

The exhibit features truly one-of-a-kind stones, such as this 3.01 carat D-Internally Flawless Type IIA pear cut diamond and a 4.22 carat pear fancy intense blue diamond, a rare carat, set by the workshops on a majestic "You and Me" ring.

Also present is this astonishing fancy dark grey-greenish yellow diamond – called ‘chameleon’ because it has the particularity of changing colour depending on its exposure to light or a source of heat. A breathtaking 31.31 carat stone offers a facetious ring in the shape of a frog. Because, resolutely, all the wonders come from nature...