Category: General

  • 3 Men Have Been Convicted for Stealing a $6 Million Gold Toilet

    3 Men Have Been Convicted for Stealing a $6 Million Gold Toilet

    The piece, made by Maurizio Cattelan, was featured in an exhibition at England’s Blenheim Palace. The piece, made by Maurizio Cattelan, was featured in an exhibition at England’s Blenheim Palace.

  • This New Hydrogen-Powered Business Jet Just Got an Extreme Makeover

    This New Hydrogen-Powered Business Jet Just Got an Extreme Makeover

    Beyond Aero’s BYA-1 is moving to stage two as the company announces new tech to make the six-person light jet simpler and safer. Beyond Aero’s BYA-1 is moving to stage two as the company announces new tech to make the six-person light jet simpler and safer.

  • Chopard Unveils Insofu Emerald Collection

    Chopard Unveils Insofu Emerald Collection

    The entire high jewelry collection has been created from a single uncut gemstone. 

    loose emeralds

    Chopard has unveiled the Insofu Collection, an Haute Joaillerie collection crafted from a single raw emerald. This extraordinary line marks the second time in the Maison’s history that an entire high jewelry collection has been created from one uncut gemstone.

    the cutting proces
    The emerald was named Insofu in honor of the stone’s remarkable trunk-like form and extraordinary scale / ©Chopard

    The story of the Insofu Collection began in 2022 in Paris when Caroline Scheufele, Co-President and Artistic Director of Chopard, introduced a breathtaking 6,225-carat rough emerald unearthed in Zambia. The emerald was named Insofu—the Bemba word for elephant—in honor of the stone’s remarkable trunk-like form and extraordinary scale.

    Caroline Scheufele at the reveal of the Insofu Collection
    Caroline Scheufele at the reveal of the Insofu Collection / ©Chopard

    [See also: Cartier Trinity Collection Marks 100th Anniversary in Miami]

    The Insofu collection comprises 15 exquisite creations: five pairs of earrings, four necklaces, three rings, a bracelet and a jewelry watch, with each piece revealing a different facet of the Insofu Emerald’s character, drawing inspiration from nature’s fluid lines, abstract forms and the refined geometry of Art Deco. By working from a raw stone, Chopard ensures full transparency and closer collaboration with the supply chain’s earliest stages.

    The making of the Insofu collection
    At the heart of the collection is an elephant-shaped pendant, a tribute to the gem’s name / ©Chopard

    This collection follows Chopard’s Garden of Kalahari series, created in 2017 from a 342-carat rough diamond. However, while a raw diamond’s yield can be determined with scientific precision, a raw emerald presents a far greater challenge, revealing its true potential only through the meticulous cutting process.

    the cutting process
    The story of the Insofu Collection began in 2022 in Paris when Caroline Scheufele introduced a breathtaking 6,225-carat rough emerald / ©Chopard

    To undertake this ambitious endeavor, Chopard assembled some of the world’s most skilled gem-cutters from India, who carefully studied the emerald in the brand’s Geneva workshops. Over nearly a year, they assessed the stone, proposing cuts that would best showcase its natural beauty while preserving its unique soul and ultimately, the Insofu gem yielded 850 carats of breathtaking emeralds which could be used in Chopard’s collection.

    chopard emeralds
    By working from a raw stone, Chopard ensures full transparency and closer collaboration with the supply chain’s earliest stages / ©Chopard

    “In every stone lies a story, and my role is to listen and honor the natural magic they carry as treasures from the Earth,” says Caroline Scheufele. “With the Insofu Collection, it was about respecting this inherent beauty. I chose the finest quality stones from the heart of the emerald, pairing them with diamonds, pink sapphires, and pearls.”

    [See also: Bottega Veneta Unveils Debut Fine Jewelry Collection]

    The Insofu gem yielded 850 carats of breathtaking emeralds which could be used in Chopard’s collection / ©Chopard

    At the heart of the collection is an elephant-shaped pendant, a tribute to the gem’s name. This signature piece showcases emeralds of various cuts and sizes, framed by shimmering diamonds that form the elephant’s tusks. Suspended from a long chain interspersed with emeralds and diamonds, the pendant is ingeniously designed to transform into a brooch.

    Other highlights include Art Deco-inspired chokers, flowing necklaces that graze the waist in a nod to the Roaring Twenties, statement cuffs, bold cocktail rings, and showstopping earrings.

    chopard.com

  • A New England Colonial Is the Centerpiece of This $35 Million Private Island in Connecticut

    A New England Colonial Is the Centerpiece of This $35 Million Private Island in Connecticut

    The 18-acre property also comes with a guest house, a beachfront pool, and expansive views of the Long Island Sound. The 18-acre property also comes with a guest house, a beachfront pool, and expansive views of the Long Island Sound.

  • We Took Lamborghinis Off-Roading at Zion National Park. Here’s What It’s Like.

    We Took Lamborghinis Off-Roading at Zion National Park. Here’s What It’s Like.

    The stateside debut of the marque’s Esperienza Avventura program took place at Zion, with a Cordon Bleu–trained chef back at base camp. The stateside debut of the marque’s Esperienza Avventura program took place at Zion, with a Cordon Bleu–trained chef back at base camp.

  • Philip Johnson’s Restored 1940s-Era Wolfhouse in New York Lists for $2.9 Million

    Philip Johnson’s Restored 1940s-Era Wolfhouse in New York Lists for $2.9 Million

    The long-forgotten mid-century masterpiece had fallen into disrepair, but a couple of creatives have breathed new life into the Hudson River-view home. The long-forgotten mid-century masterpiece had fallen into disrepair, but a couple of creatives have breathed new life into the Hudson River-view home.

  • This $62 Million Beverly Hills Home Was Designed by One of Napa Valley’s Favorite Architects

    This $62 Million Beverly Hills Home Was Designed by One of Napa Valley’s Favorite Architects

    Villa Oliva, conceived by the late Howard Backen, embodies relaxed indoor-outdoor living through the use of natural materials and disappearing walls of glass. Villa Oliva, conceived by the late Howard Backen, embodies relaxed indoor-outdoor living through the use of natural materials and disappearing walls of glass.

  • Car of the Week: This 1,000 HP Vector Prototype Is One of a Kind and Could Fetch $1.3 Million

    Car of the Week: This 1,000 HP Vector Prototype Is One of a Kind and Could Fetch $1.3 Million

    The 1993 Vector Avtech WX-3 Prototype Coupe is currently available through Canepa. The 1993 Vector Avtech WX-3 Prototype Coupe is currently available through Canepa.

  • Ridley Scott’s Newest Opus? His French Wine.

    Ridley Scott’s Newest Opus? His French Wine.

    We taste through the acclaimed filmmakers latest vintage. We taste through the acclaimed filmmakers latest vintage.

  • Inside a Modern Waterfront Mansion in Ontario That Doubles as a Private Forest Retreat

    Inside a Modern Waterfront Mansion in Ontario That Doubles as a Private Forest Retreat

    A family’s property captures the layered beauty of eastern Canada through the lens of modern design. A family’s property captures the layered beauty of eastern Canada through the lens of modern design.