Laurence Graff, with Picasso's L'Aubade. Courtesy of Graff.
Laurence Graff is a single-minded visionary. In the jewelry world, he has accomplished what no other person has ever done during a single lifetime. He established the most important jewelry brand, recognized around the globe, in only five decades. Today, the Graff signature indicates one thing: the best, whether it be an exceptional gem or a superlative jewel.
Growing up in a tight-knit community of London’s East End during the 1930s and 40s, Graff was exposed to the hurried and impulsive trading on Hessel Street, which was the heart of the famous Jewish market. This street education — during a period of poverty and hardship and the effects of war and the black market — was balanced and supplemented by the warmth and nurturing world his religious extended family offered. Determination, honesty, respect, modesty, resiliency, and self-respect were the values his family taught and which Graff embraced. Steeped in this environment, young Graff honed his natural entrepreneurial skills by collecting comic books and trading cigarette cards. His early experiences left an indelible imprint which remain today at the very core of Graff’s life and philosophy.
Graff. A Diamond and Gold Necklace. A Pair of Ruby, Diamond and Gold ‘Waterfall’ Earrings. A Pair of Diamond and Gold Earrings.
At age 15, Graff’s mother took him to a Hatton Garden’s jeweler to learn a trade — but it was at a second jeweler, Segal & Co., where Graff first learned to repair and then to make jewelry. His apprenticeship included the traditional practical benchwork as well as coursework. By age 18, when Segal & Co ceased trading, Graff formed a partnership with an older jeweler repairing Victorian jewelry. This marked the beginning of Graff's adult career, and reflected his uncanny ability to seize opportunities and take risks. When he purchased 33 unmounted diamonds from a dealer, in lieu of creating separate diamond rings, Graff created one ring utilizing all 33 stones, which he sold immediately. This exemplifies Graff’s business acumen, understanding of the market, and passion for gemstones — he recognized that “flash” carries importance. Although not financially monumental, this sale was a benchmark and turning point for Graff. In 1960, the house of Graff was founded. Today, Graff remains a family business; François, Mr. Graff’s son is CEO, his brother Raymond Graff oversees jewelry production, and his nephew Elliot is responsible for operation logistics, design and merchandizing.
Graff. A Pair of Diamond and Gold ‘Pagoda’ Earrings.
The house of Graff is also uniquely positioned as a vertically integrated company, thanks to Laurence Graff’s pioneering foresight. The company is independent in its jewelry making process — from mine to finished jewel. Gem Diamonds and SAFDICO (South African Diamond Corporation) are Graff’s procurement and polishing divisions where the diamonds are mined, cut and polished. Diamonds, organized by shape, color and size are then sent to the design team and, contrary to the typical process, the designs at Graff are created from the available stones, not vice versa. When design comes first and stones are sourced to fit it is more time consuming and labor intensive. Graff jewels are prompted by the intimate relationship between designer and stone. Once the hand-drawn design is completed and approved by Laurence Graff, the drawing is sent to a three-dimensional printer so that the workshop is provided with an exact model of how and where to set the stones. The results of this unique process can be seen in our Jewels & More online sale: lots 56, 57, 59, 60, 62, 63, 68, and 81.
Hand drawn Gouache. Courtesy of Maison Birks.
Laurence Graff’s business instincts have kept him at the forefront of the retail and wholesale industry and this included recognizing the opportunities and benefits of travel. He explored Asia and the Middle East; discovering new cultures and making important contacts. On the technical side of the business, Graff is a self-taught gemologist and he possesses a rare ability to see the beauty of a stone when others cannot. He connects to a diamond and is able to visualize how to maximize its beauty. His skill is more innate than it is learned.
Graff Diamonds’ reputation for offering the most important gemstones is unrivaled and distinctive. A superlative example is the Lesedi La Rona, cut from a 1,109 carat rough to yield the 302.37 carat, square emerald-cut diamond of the highest quality and clarity ever graded by the Gemological Institute of America. This is a work of art; taking more than a year to create, in addition to yielding 66 “satellite” diamonds. While it was initially thought that the rough would not yield a diamond of exceptional clarity, Graff saw the possibility and made it happen.
Bigger, better, best and attaining perfection are the driving forces for jeweler, diamantaire, art collector and philanthropist Laurence Graff.