Brilliant Baubles

When it comes to sparkling adornment, there are a few select brands that immediately come to mind, and British-based Graff happens to be a paragon of choice diamonds and gemstones throughout the world. Founded in 1960 by Laurence Graff- known as the king of diamonds– this self-made tycoon began his illustrious career as a jeweler’s apprentice in London, while still in his teens. With thirty stores worldwide, including new locations in Macau, Hong Kong, Dubai, and San Francisco, a wide range of elite clients- who come from the worlds of politics, royalty, and celebrity- collect these precious trinkets, as this house-of-jewels produces some of the largest and most exquisite rocks in the world.

A vertically integrated company, Graff is unlike others in that they cut their own stones, which makes for superior quality. Using state-of-the-art technology and the best master cutters in the world, every stage of the jewelry making process is done with utmost innovation and excellence. From sourcing the rough stone, to the cutting, polishing, and final setting, it’s no wonder the company’s value has increased lately- and also not surprising that the Asian market’s current demand for high-end diamonds within the newly monied luxe-set, has made Graff their go-to for bling ornamentation. Recently, Christie’s New York sold Graff’s 50-carat rectangular cut D-color flawless diamond for over 8 Million…to Mr. Graff himself, this being the third time he has owned his spectacular piece of ice. And their famous stone, The Delaire Sunrise–  118.08 carats, the largest square emerald cut fancy vivid yellow diamond in the world- took one year to complete.

With long-standing ties to Sub-Saharan Africa, Graff implemented FACET in 2008, which was developed to support programs that enrich the quality of life and promote education to those who live in this region- additionally, the company provides grants to various charities in efforts to relieve poverty. As one of the largest producers in South Africa, Graff is affiliated with a new generation cutting facility in Botswana, called Diamond Technology Park, a campus-inspired environment in which he helped create. And…circling back to what really matters, Lorraine De Tymowska- a lovely Swiss gemologist who works at Graff’s Chicago outpost- wrote an interesting story for Status Chicago entitled, History of Engagement Rings which should be mandatory reading for all those men who are planning to pop the question…or, at least the women who may need to facilitate with that purchase. www.graffdiamonds.com