History of the Cannes Palme d'Or
Every year, the Palme d'Or celebrates the best film in the official selection of the Cannes Film Festival. Although this international festival has existed since 1946, it was not until 1955 that the Palme d'Or was awarded for the first time.
The palm tree symbol is borrowed from the coat of arms of the city of Cannes , where it has appeared since the 11th century. It refers to the legend of Saint-Honorat, who is said to have climbed a palm tree to allow the sea to cleanse the island of Saint-Honorat of the snakes that infested it.
French jeweler and engraver Lucienne Lazon was initially selected to design the Palme d'Or. It was eventually redesigned by Caroline Scheufele , president of Swiss jewelry house Chopard, in 1998.
It is composed of a gold branch with 19 leaves articulated around a stem forming a small heart, the symbol of Chopard. 118 grams of yellow gold are fixed on a block of rock crystal cut in the shape of an emerald diamond.
For each edition, two Palmes d'Or are systematically produced in order to prevent any accident, theft or tie. Each Palme d'Or is unique and requires 40 hours of work by five of the house's artisans.
