Chopard has revealed the 2016 Palme d’Or it has crafted for the Cannes Film Festival in France, which opens tonight.  

The dazzling trophy will go to the best film at the prestigious annual event.

Redesigned by Chopard Co-President and Creative Director Caroline Scheufele in 1998 and crafted each year since in the Swiss watch and jewellery house’s workshops, the Palme d’Or has been made since 2014 from ‘Fairmined’ certified gold. 

By enhancing it with ethically sustainable qualities, Chopard and the Cannes Film Festival began writing a new chapter in their shared history and proclaimed their determination to work towards a luxury that is both civic-minded and respectful of the environment.

For several years now, Chopard has been demonstrating its commitment to social responsibility. A member of the UK-based Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC), a leading environmental, social and ethical standard setting organisation, Chopard is also implementing an initiative called ‘The Journey to Sustainable Luxury’ which it created together with Livia Firth, founder of Eco-Age, a consultancy specialising in sustainable solutions.

Under the initiative launched in 2013 Cannes festival, the Chopard is committed to sourcing materials from suppliers with responsible social and environmental practices. The latter have given rise to new haute joaillerie creations within its Green Carpet collection. 

The Palme d’Or features a delicately curved stem with a small heart at its base – a nod to the iconic brand symbol – and delicately veined leaves that appear to have been caught in mid-motion. This 18-karat yellow gold creation rests on a crystal cushion shaped like an emerald-cut diamond, a detail that makes each trophy unique, as no two crystals are identical. 

It takes five skilled Chopard artisans no less than 40 hours of work to handcraft the trophy. Two smaller mini Palmes, also crafted in Fairmined gold, are awarded to the Best Actress and Best Actor at each new edition of the festival. 

The 69^th Cannes Film Festival, which runs for 10 days, opens tonight with Woody Allen’s Café Society, a 1930’s story about a young man who dreams about making it big in Hollywood.