Six decades after young Laurence Graff started designing and supplying his creations to jewellers across the UK, the luxury jewellery house that bears his name has grown into a global empire, known for its rare and beautiful gems that are favoured by royalty, heads of states and Hollywood luminaries.
Founded in 1960, GRAFF was established as a diamond trading and retail company. Regarded as a maverick of the time, Laurence Graff became known for designs that were more adventurous than the offerings of that period. The quality and rarity of his diamonds built his reputation as the “King of Diamonds”. He opened his first retail store in Knightsbridge, London, and today, there are over 60 GRAFF boutiques across the world.
GRAFF Tribal Collection sapphire and diamond earrings. Photo: Courtesy of GRAFF
GRAFF sugarloaf cabochon sapphire and diamond bangle. Photo: Courtesy of GRAFF
The Graff family still own and run the company, with Laurence Graff at the helm as the chairman, and his son Francois as the CEO. Indeed, the brand views its clientele as extended family. “GRAFF is a family business and the people who enter our boutiques and buy our jewels become part of our family,” says Laurence Graff. “They buy what we love: we love our jewels like we love our children; they are very, very special to us and we strive to offer jewellery pieces that will last forever.”
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Along with this heritage, another fundamental pillar for the brand is its dedication to craftsmanship. It has a long history of working with exceptional stones of the highest quality and is known for its unparalleled gem-cutting, setting and polishing techniques.
The Exceptional Diamond Necklace that was unveiled at Paris Couture Week in January this year is a good example. The stunning necklace features a centre stone that is a rare 50-carat, D colour, flawless oval- shaped diamond, flanked by 100 carats of pear-shaped, emerald-cut, oval, round and baguette-cut diamonds. To put the focus on the exquisite 50-carat stone, the setting had to be impeccable. With emerald-cut diamonds creating a graphic frame, the magnificence of this diamond is further enhanced by rows of calibré-cut diamonds that radiate outwards, creating the impression of a “floating” diamond. In true GRAFF fashion, the back of the necklace is as flawless as the front, displaying an exceptional attention to detail that is second to none.
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The GRAFFABULOUS high jewellery campaign features models Grace Elizabeth, Aya Jones and Qun Ye as divine goddesses, clad in some of the most fabulous jewels ever seen. A treasure trove of extraordinary stones in more than 80 one-of-a-kind pieces, the collection features a whopping 3,600 carats of white and yellow diamonds, as well as emeralds, rubies and sapphires.
The stunning, 50-carat centre stone is an example of GRAFF’s exceptional diamonds that have unparalleled purity and brilliance. Photo: Courtesy of GRAFF
Detailed sketches imagining the necklace design. Photo: Courtesy of GRAFF
Necklaces are the most prominent pieces, and in true GRAFF fashion, they have a beautiful fluency and flow that highlights the stones. “As designers, we listen to the songs the stones are singing, focusing on the music and the rhythm,” says Anne-Eva Geffroy, Design Director at GRAFF. “Like the ripples that emanate outwards when a stone is dropped in water, the tempo increases as the jewels graduate in size until they reach a crescendo: a central motif where the full force of these natural gemstones is concentrated.”
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