1.

'The King of Diamonds'

Born in 1938, Laurence Graff dropped out of school at just 14 years old. When he turned 15, his mother took him to London’s diamond district, Hatton Garden, to find a job as an apprentice. He felt an immediate affinity with the precious stones and, despite being told he wouldn’t ‘make the grade’, he soon forged a career in this most competitive of businesses. Speaking about his early love for diamonds Graff has said, ‘I have always been fascinated by diamonds. I remember looking at them, studying them closely to understand their purity, and the way they had been cut. It was an inherent feeling that has turned in to a lifelong passion.’

By the time he was 18, Graff had opened his own shop in partnership with a more experienced jeweller. He began repairing Victorian jewellery but soon moved into buying and selling diamonds and creating unique designs that were immediately popular with his clients. In 1960, at the age of just 22, he established Graff Diamonds with two London shops. Soon he was taking his business all over the world, mixing with royalty and heiresses, however, it was not until 2000 that the jewellery house opened its first store outside the UK, in Monaco.

Today, there are over 50 Graff stores worldwide. In 2013, Graff was awarded an OBE for his services to jewellery.

3.

The Graff Signature Style

Graff is first and foremost known for the exceptional quality of their diamonds, in both cut and clarity. The house has handled some of the most important diamonds in the world including the Graff Lesedi La Rona, a 302.37-carat square emerald-cut stone which is the largest and highest clarity diamond ever certified by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), and The Eternal Twins, described as a pair of perfectly symmetrical Flawless 50 carat diamonds that demonstrate the superior quality of Graff craftsmanship.

As well as the quality of their stones, Graff is known for classic designs such as the animal and bird brooch series which are often set with combinations of coloured and white diamonds. The most famous example of this is the peacock brooch which is made up of 120.81 carats of diamonds. More recently the brand has also expanded their offering into watches which has allowed them to branch out into new markets around the world.

Having worked with some of the finest stones, the Graff jewellery house has pushed creative boundaries to produced pieces from diamonds, emeralds, rubies and sapphires, including tiaras, necklaces, bracelets and suites. Often drawing inspiration from the natural world, Graff has spoken about being lead by the shape of the rough diamond and allowing forms to develop from the source stone. The Graff Infinity tiara included a 157.8 carat heart-shaped diamond.

4.

Wearing Graff

Graff jewellery has been a regular feature of the red carpet for decades. When the brand was still young Graff’s jewels could be seen on stars such as Frank Sinatra and Elizabeth Taylor, while today figures like Oprah Winfrey, Victoria Beckham and Naomi Campbell continue to bring the jewellery house to the attention of new generations of collectors.

In 2014 Pharell Williams caused a stir in the world of fashion by wearing a 7.51 carat yellow diamond engagement ring while on the more traditional end of the spectrum, Angelina Jolie famously wore a pair of 32.98 carat Graff diamond earrings with her evening dress to the BAFTAs in 2018.

The brand is not just for celebrities, however, and many collectors buy these jewels for themselves or loved ones to wear day-to-day, as with an engagement ring, or on special more formal occasions.

5.

The Market for Graff

The market for Graff has been consistently strong over the decades and continues to grow as the brand appeals to young collectors all over the world. Bonhams holds some exceptional results for Graff pieces including £603,062 for an emerald and diamond bracelet in London in 2019 and $660,500 for a magnificent diamond ring sold in 2017 in New York.

At the higher end of show-stopping jewellery, the demand for pieces designed by Laurence Graff continues to grow, appealing both to the haute couture audience, and customers wishing to expand their collection of generational jewels to pass down to loved ones in years to come. As investment pieces they hold and gain value, and the fancy yellow diamond pendant earrings offered for sale in Paris Jewels would be a perfect way to add to an existing collection, or to begin a journey collecting Graff jewellery.

Paris Jewels

24 April | Paris, Avenue Hoche