Jewellery by Graff a diamond and emerald pendant necklace, and right, a diamond ring

Collecting guide: Graff diamond jewellery

An introduction to the sparkling career of Laurence Graff, the London jeweller synonymous with ‘all-diamond’ masterpieces and coloured gems of remarkable quality. Illustrated with lots offered at Christie’s

A brief history of Graff

Sixty years after he founded his eponymous house, London-born jeweller Laurence Graff is renowned the world over for diamonds of rare historical pedigree and coloured gems of remarkable quality.

From the start, his eye for high-quality gemstones got him noticed. His settings enhanced their natural brilliance and fire, and his focus on balance and proportion led to deceptively simple designs that transcend the whims of fashion.

Graff diamond ring. Estimate $300,000-500,000. Offered in Magnificent Jewels on 8 June 2021 at Christie’s in New York
Graff diamond ring. Estimate: $300,000-500,000. Offered in Magnificent Jewels on 8 June 2021 at Christie’s in New York

In 1973 Graff became the first jeweller to receive the Queen’s Award to Industry and Export. By the early 1980s, Graff had become synonymous with the ‘all-diamond’ jewel, attracting an international clientele that loved large, spectacular stones.

The house is involved with every stage of a diamond’s life, from mining and cutting to designing and manufacturing. From humble beginnings in London’s East End, the Graff brand is now one of the largest diamond corporations and is represented by more than 50 stores worldwide. 

Graff diamond and emerald pendant necklace. Estimate $200,000-300,000. Offered in Magnificent Jewels on 8 June 2021 at Christie’s in New York
Graff diamond and emerald pendant necklace. Estimate: $200,000-300,000. Offered in Magnificent Jewels on 8 June 2021 at Christie’s in New York

Historic gems that made history

Laurence Graff’s passion for rare and extraordinary gems has brought him into contact with some of the most celebrated diamonds in the world, from the Emperor Maximilian and the Idol’s Eye to the Eternal Twins, two identical 50-carat emerald-cut diamonds set into a magnificent pair of earrings.

More recently, Graff’s team of master craftsmen expertly cut and polished the Graff Lesedi La Rona, a spectacular 302.37-carat square emerald-cut stone that is the largest, highest-colour, highest-clarity diamond ever certified by the Gemological Institute of America.

One of the most prestigious of Graff’s historic gems was probably the Wittelsbach, a 17th-century blue diamond from the Golconda mines of India, with a documented history dating back to many royal families of Europe.

In 2008, Graff acquired this legendary 35.56-carat stone for more than £16 million at Christie’s in London. In 2009, after careful repolishing to improve its colour and clarity, the diamond, now weighing 31.06 carats, was renamed the Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond.


Coloured diamonds, rubies, emeralds and sapphires 

Graff emerald, sapphire and diamond medallion necklace. Estimate $100,000-150,000. Offered in Magnificent Jewels on 8 June 2021 at Christie’s in New York
Graff emerald, sapphire and diamond medallion necklace. Estimate: $100,000-150,000. Offered in Magnificent Jewels on 8 June 2021 at Christie’s in New York
Graff sapphire and diamond chandelier earrings. Estimate $80,000-120,000. Offered in Magnificent Jewels on 8 June 2021 at Christie’s in New York
Graff sapphire and diamond chandelier earrings. Estimate: $80,000-120,000. Offered in Magnificent Jewels on 8 June 2021 at Christie’s in New York

In 2009, a Graff ring set with a fancy vivid pink diamond of 5.00 carats was auctioned at Christie’s Hong Kong and sold for HKD 83,540,000 — the equivalent of US$2 million per carat, and a record price-per-carat for any pink diamond at that time.

Other notable coloured diamonds to have passed through Graff’s hands include the Empress Rose, the largest internally flawless Fancy Light pink diamond in the world; and the Golden Empress, a Fancy Intense yellow diamond from Lesotho’s Letšeng mine in South Africa. The splendid honey-hued 132.55-carat cushion-cut diamond was presented in 2015, together with a further eight stones: two brilliant rounds and six pear-shaped diamonds. 

Graff diamond and emerald earrings. Estimate $150,000-200,000. Offered in Magnificent Jewels on 8 June 2021 at Christie’s in New York
Graff diamond and emerald earrings. Estimate: $150,000-200,000. Offered in Magnificent Jewels on 8 June 2021 at Christie’s in New York
Graff ruby and diamond bracelet. Sizedimensions 17.0 cm (6¾ in); width 2.8 cm (1⅛ in). Estimate $75,000-100,000. Offered in Magnificent Jewels on 8 June 2021 at Christie’s in New York
Graff ruby and diamond bracelet. Size/dimensions: 17.0 cm (6¾ in); width 2.8 cm (1⅛ in). Estimate: $75,000-100,000. Offered in Magnificent Jewels on 8 June 2021 at Christie’s in New York

Over the decades, Graff has also designed jewels set with coloured gems of the rarest quality. In 2006, Christie’s Senior International Specialist Jean-Marc Lunel came across the near perfect 8.62 carat Burmese ruby, which came to be known as ‘The Graff Ruby’. 

Combining the highly sought-after ‘pigeon’s blood’ red typical of old Burmese material and a high degree of transparency, which is rare in rubies, it came to auction with a pre-sale estimate of between $400,000 and $600,000. More than 20 minutes of bidding saw the final price reach the $3.6 million mark — at the time the highest price-per-carat ruby ever sold.

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Red-carpet glamour

Graff creates red-carpet jewellery, too — feminine designs enhanced with floating diamonds, sometimes with the addition of fine coloured gemstones.

Graff diamond earrings. Estimate $180,000-250,000. Offered in Magnificent Jewels on 8 June 2021 at Christie’s in New York
Graff diamond earrings. Estimate: $180,000-250,000. Offered in Magnificent Jewels on 8 June 2021 at Christie’s in New York

A-list celebrities favouring Graff include Anna Kendrick and Angelina Jolie. The latter famously paired a dazzling set of Graff diamond earrings, weighing 32.98 carats, with a full-length black dress at the BAFTAs in 2018.