The Treasure House of GRAFF

“Diamonds excite me; diamonds are my life - I see inside the gemstone, look at the color and cut and assess its natural beauty and value – I was born to be amongst diamonds,” says {{Laurence Graff}}, ‘The King of Diamonds’. With a passion for diamonds that began from an early age, his inherent feeling for diamonds goes beyond the gemstones themselves. %% The House of Graff is synonymous with the most fabulous jewels in the world. Its diamond jewellery is exceptional; the quality, the style and workmanship are unmatchable. It’s the ideal destination for pure luxurious self-indulgence. %% However, a jewel is not only regarded as a symbol of wealth, but also as the ultimate gift of love. Exclusivity and quality are the keynotes of the collection. All Graff jewels are made by hand in the their workshops, from the creation of the design to the immaculate setting; each piece requires many hours of work, some several hundred hours. The highly skilled craftsmen, many of whom are trained at Graff, have perfected the extraordinarily fine settings that are a major feature of the jewellery, which is always of the highest quality. It is then no wonder that celebrities such as Victoria Beckham and Paris Hilton adorn Graff jewels with happiness.

{{GRAFF Rules:}}$$ Graff is ‘a true diamond company’ - a vertically integrated company from, as Laurence Graff explains, “the mine through to the ladies wearing the jewels”. Graff sources and buys diamonds in the rough from various mines around the world; many are from the Premier Mine, one of the oldest South African mines still yielding high quality gemstones. This gives Graff a leading edge in the industry, and allows it to produce at a more competitive rate and, in turn, offer a more exclusive selection of the finest diamonds to its clients worldwide. %% Today Graff is the largest producer in South Africa with one of the largest polishing and cutting factories based in Johannesburg employing over 300 craftsmen. Thousands of carats of diamonds are cut and polished and from these only the best go into Graff retail stores around the world. Diamonds are also cut and polished at Graff factories in Antwerp, Mauritius and New York. %%{{ GRAFF’s Worldwide Expansion:}}

With its headquarters in London’s Albemarle Street and flagship store on the prestigious New Bond Street, overseas expansion, including new stores in America, Russia and the Middle-East has made Graff a famous luxury brand. There are over 20 stores worldwide with further stores scheduled to be opened in Geneva, Tokyo and Hong Kong in 2007. %% The opening of its US Corporate Headquarters on 46th East 61st Street heralds the continuing expansion of Graff across USA. The stunning salons in New York, Palm Beach, Chicago and Las Vegas and distribution through selected SAKS stores have been joined by Bal Harbour and a store in Saks on 5th Avenue. All the luxurious features of the Graff stores worldwide were incorporated and overseen by Laurence Graff personally.

{{Most Fabulous, Treasured GRAFF Diamonds:}}%% Over the years Graff has handled the World’s most fabulous and treasured gemstones. The Idol’s Eye (70.21cts), the Emperor Maximilian (41.94 cts), the Porter Rhodes (54.04 cts), Le Grand and Le Petit Coeur d’Afrique (70.03 cts and 25.22 cts) respectively, the Excelsior (69.68 cts), the Windsor Diamonds (91.23 cts), the Imperial Blue (39.31 cts), the Hope of Africa (115.91 cts), the Begum Blue (13.78 cts), the Paragon (137.82cts), the Safia (90.97 cts), the Sarah (132.43 cts), La Favorite (50.01 cts); the Star of America (100.57 cts), the Golden Star (101.28 cts) and the Star of Lesotho (53.11cts) are to name but a few, together with intense pink, blue, yellow and the purest white diamonds of flawless quality. Some of these diamonds are centuries old and steeped in myth and history while others have just been discovered and brought to life in Graff’s own workshops. There is great pride in knowing that these gems of everlasting beauty will pass from generation to generation, building their own legends on the way. %% To make these gems even more special, many are laser inscribed on the girdle with the Graff logo and unique Gemmological Institute of America (GIA) identification number. The inscription is visible only under 10-power magnification and is not detrimental to the clarity grade of the diamond. The logo proves that the diamond is an authentic GRAFF diamond and the GIA number gives it proof of identity. “And the greatest extra is the way we cut these diamonds they’re cut to true perfection,” states Graff.