Chopard unveils a 6,225-carat precious stone<

In Paris, haute couture week is also that of high jewelry presentations. Necklaces, bracelets, earrings, brooches: these are unique pieces, destined to shine on the red carpet… and on the neck, fingers and wrists of a wealthy clientele.

On Tuesday, the Swiss house Chopard made an impression by presenting, in its Place Vendôme boutique, a treasure that no one, for the moment, will be able to wear: an astounding rough emerald of 6,225 carats. His name: Insofu.

The superlatively precious stone was found a few months ago in Zambia. In the Bemba language, the local ethnic group of the emerald's region of origin, Insofu means "elephant". A name like a nod to its tusk-like shape, but also to its weight: Isofu weighs 1.22 kilos.

Instagram happy

This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.

Insofu was discovered in 2010 in the Kagem open-pit mine, operated by the British company Gemfields. It is considered the second largest gemstone in the entire history of the mine.

The issue of eco-responsible sourcing and the traceability of raw materials is a priority for Gemfields as well as for Chopard, one of the first houses to have positioned itself in the ethical gold sector with its Green Carpet collection, recurring star of the steps of the Cannes Film Festival. Insofu is the first emerald of this size and purity to truly meet these ethical requirements. "Gemfields' philosophy is to collaborate with the communities where its stones are found by creating better, sustainable living conditions and stimulating the economy," London jewelry designer Nilufer Kizilkaya, who collaborated on this, told Vogue Italy. project with the English company.

In the raw state, it is practically impossible to pronounce with certainty on the exact nature of an emerald. Unlike the diamond, which can be analyzed in order to precisely determine the appearance and the number of the final stones, it is a dark stone which only reveals its full potential when it is cut. The emerald is also the most fragile of stones: a shock in the wrong place can break it into a myriad of irrecoverable fragments. At Chopard, we are therefore preparing for a real challenge to offer all its splendor to this prodigy of nature.