Haute Couture 2025: Stepping Inside ‘Caroline’s Universe’ with the Chopard Red Carpet Collection

The Red Carpet Collection has become something of an institution at Chopard, representing its ties to the glitz and glamour of celebrity events, especially the Cannes Film Festival. This year, the maison launched its new Red Carpet jewels – neatly named 'Caroline's Universe' - at the 78th Cannes Film Festival before bringing the pieces to Paris Haute Couture Week for a day of private appointments and viewings. Of course, we were there! Let's take a closer look at some of Caroline Scheufele's latest colourful adornments, including our 10 favourite pieces. 

As is so often the case, it is the spirit of an artistic director that informs the soul of a maison's output. Nowhere is this truer than at Chopard, which is creatively led by Caroline Scheufele and her joyful, uplifting and glamorous approach to fine and high jewellery. The first glimpses of the 2025 Red Carpet Collection, named 'Caroline's Universe', were provided at the 78th annual Cannes International Film Festival in May 2025. You will no doubt be aware that Chopard has been the Festival's official partner and artisan of the Palme d'Or since 1998, so it's able to make a big splash at the many high-profile events that make up the Cannes calendar. 

Like in previous iterations, the latest Red Carpet Collection is composed of exactly 78 pieces, reflecting the number of years the Cannes Film Festival has been in existence. Of the pieces we've seen, none are diminutive. They're vibrant, colourful, dynamic, and infused with fun, whimsical touches, like cute three-dimensional animals gathered around carved jade and jumbo pearls. Rather than focusing on one of Caroline Scheufele's passions, like cinema or art, this year's suite of high jewels is more personal, acknowledging the animals, flowers, couture clothing, gems, cosmic inspirations and heartfelt moments that shape her internal world. Caroline says: "Each piece of jewellery is a stage; each precious stone tells a story in which the art of jewellery reflects both my personal journey and universal emotion."

However, some core themes emerge across the collection, including a deep love for animals. You may remember, back in 2010, Chopard launched the Animal World High Jewellery collection, consisting of 150 pieces to mark its 150th anniversary. In this new collection, we see dogs, owls, dolphins, parrots, cats, peacocks, penguins, foxes and pandas immortalised in fully paved jewels, especially rings, often surrounding key gems like pearls, opals, and carved jade. The first in our top 10 favourites also finds its place here – an adorable hippopotamus ring – crafted in 18k white gold with 17.38 carats of brilliant-cut grey diamonds, garnets and onyx cabochons. Only Chopard could make the not-so-beautiful mammal look like a sparkling work of art! 

Another recurring theme is flowers, which have pride of place in the 2025 Red Carpet offering. Mono-chromatic rose-inspired brooches are great standouts, including a pink version and a black option with titanium petals and marquise-cut diamonds. Among our top 10 highlights are a pendant necklace in 18k white gold and titanium, set with 12.75 carats of pear-shaped and 12.13 carats of marquise-cut amethysts, 13.02 carats of brilliant-cut diamonds, round sapphires, amethysts and more than 7 carats of tanzanite beads. We also selected the Flower earrings in titanium, set with white opal cabochons of more than 18 carats, heart-shaped pink sapphires, pink, yellow, and orange sapphires, rubies and brilliant-cut diamonds, as well as a fantastic jewellery watch with petals of garnets, pink spinels, sapphires, tsavorites and emeralds surrounding a yellow diamond dial. 

The next most substantial theme in 'Caroline's Universe' is the art of couture, especially the search for exquisite materials, attention to detail, and the type of precision that can only be achieved meticulously by hand. We've seen this before (the Precious Lace collection of 2015 springs to mind), but this year's crop of jewels has a touch more edge to them. I'm thinking of a jewellery timepiece with a large lozenge-shaped portrait-cut diamond dial, a choker with a pink-purple tourmaline set atop a scalloped ribbon of diamonds, pink sapphires and amethysts, and a pair of earrings with 43.67 carats of amethyst briolettes, brilliant-cut sapphires and diamonds, which definitely fall in our top 10. 

Another piece with a dark fairytale aesthetic is also sixth on our list – a choker, set with a 158.67-carat pinkish-red ruby cabochon, surrounded by brilliant-cut diamonds tangled in vines of titanium and 18k white gold. This is placed on a simple black band to add depth, while also tapping into the Disney Villain vibe that may or may not be intentional! 

And let's not forget another core element of all Chopard creations – the coloured gemstones. 'Caroline's Universe' is fuelled by colour, shape, and contrasting cuts. Take, for example, a ring with a 29.76-carat emerald-cut tanzanite, set with 6.73 carats of brilliant-cut sapphires and 4.70 carats of baguette-cut diamonds that has pride of place in our top 10 list. There's also plenty of green in this year's high jewellery offering, including a diamond and emerald snake-inspired necklace, a beautiful lattice-work choker, and a draped necklace with pear-shaped gems that's reminiscent of the Gilded Age. The three pieces that secured a place in our top 10 are a pair of earrings in 18k yellow gold, set with 15.12 carats of pear-shaped emeralds, emerald- and brilliant-cut yellow diamonds and round-cut emeralds; a striking jewellery watch with 38.99 carats of pear-shaped emeralds, surrounding a dial set with brilliant-cut emeralds, and the star of the show… a necklace with a 129-carat emerald cabochon, surrounded by 28.85 carats of pear-shaped diamonds of and 21.56 carats of brilliant-cut diamonds. 

This firmly entered our top 10 from the moment we clapped eyes on it, if not the number one spot. 

Although these are our precious picks, there's so much more to fall in love with in the 2025 Red Carpet Collection. Among the remaining 68 creations are some pretty briolette-cut pink sapphire jewels, heart-shaped creations in lightweight aluminium, and night sky-inspired pieces, like a pendant with a black panther lounging in the curve of a crescent moon. 

Despite its dominance at the Cannes Film Festival, it was lovely to see Chopard at Paris Haute Couture Week, not only to witness some of these jewels in person, but to see what else it has prepared for us, including jewellery watches and a new campaign with model Bella Hadid. This is a brand that never sits still, so perhaps that’s something else we’ve learned about Caroline’s universe… it never sleeps.