More than 60 years ago Laurence Graff launched a diamond business that would come to define luxury craftsmanship in the UK and beyond. The East End-born Graff was 15 years old when he left school and began working as an apprentice to a jeweller in Hatton Garden, London, while also taking classes at the Central School of Arts and Crafts. By 18 Graff had launched his own company, Graff Diamonds, specialising in repairing Victorian jewels. His business really took off when he sourced 33 small diamonds for £60. Rather than spread the stones out across various pieces, he used them to create one large ring, catching the attention of a jeweller in the north of England who began requesting more of the style.
This pioneering attitude became emblematic of Graff’s approach. Today the company continues to source, design and sell gems. Each stone is still personally selected by a member of the family; there are five currently working at the company. While Graff senior is still chairman, his son François, the eldest of his children, is the CEO, leading the business day to day. This helps to guarantee their high standard and ensures that all pieces are responsibly mined and traceable to their source.
At Graff you’ll also find some of the world’s largest diamonds, including the Infinity Diamond which, at 157.8 carats, is one of the largest heart-shaped diamonds in existence. Then there is the Lesedi La Rona, which produced the largest, highest-colour, highest-clarity diamond certified by the GIA, from a 1,109-carat diamond found in Botswana — the second largest rough diamond after the Cullinan in the Crown Jewels.
In this exclusive behind-the-scenes feature, Graff opened the doors to its London workshops so that Times Luxury readers could see exactly how its extraordinary jewels are made.
Director: Mona Tehrani
Director of photography: Dominic Lake
Edit: Alicia Leech
Additional words: Chiara Brown
