GRAFF DEBUTS FIRST FREESTANDING SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SALON

BY INGRID SCHMIDT

The London-based high jewelry house has made a name for its opulent, rare, and often flawless diamonds and colored gemstones

April 24, 2024

It’s a family affair at Graff, the luxe London jewelry company founded by Laurence Graff in 1960 and helmed today by his son, Francois Graff, who became global chief executive officer in 2004. In 1973, Graff became the first jeweler to be honored with the Queen’s Award for Industry and Export and the company has gone on to receive the international trade award another four times.

From the outset, the company has made a mission of sourcing, cutting, polishing and setting some of the most rare and memorable world-class stones. Among them: The 302.37-carat Graff Lesedi La Rona, the world’s largest emerald-cut diamond, crafted from the third biggest gem-quality rough diamond ever found at 1,111 carats. Also in the mix are the 118.78-carat Graff Venus, the largest heart-shaped flawless diamond ever certified by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), and the 118.08-carat Delaire Sunrise, the biggest square emerald-cut fancy vivid yellow diamond in the world.

“We are one of the only remaining high jewelry houses that continues to benefit from daily involvement from our founder, Laurence Graff, as chairman,” Graff’s U.S. CEO and President Marc Hruschka tells South Coast Plaza. “And I speak with Francois almost daily on all things from client requests to new stores opening or just general business. A member of the Graff family is involved in every stage of the jewelry-making process — hand selecting the stones and directing the cutting, polishing and setting, which is exceptionally unique in this industry. It is what sets us apart and is paramount for the way we operate our business.”

In October, Graff opened the doors to its second stand-alone store in California at South Coast Plaza. “Graff will always prioritize calculated, qualitative growth; it is not about how many salons we can open in a certain time period,” says Hruschka. “In fact, this is our first new market opening in over a decade. South Coast Plaza is one of the leading luxury retail destinations in the world. With the Orange County area known for its affluent and influential community, it only made sense for Graff to have a presence there.”

The Costa Mesa location stands out as a unique salon design, the first of its kind in the United States, adapted from a concept initially rolled out in Asia. The distinctive décor creates a stunning backdrop for the jewels, with a facade of golden Luget limestone, sourced from a unique French quarry, and natural Italian oak paneling inside brandishing lit niches covered in gold chiseled glass. Other bespoke details include black resin portals and doors with gold metal inclusions, textured gold metallic skirting, and a handcrafted chandelier as centerpiece, inspired by the facets of a diamond.

Three distinctive areas within the salon are dedicated to the pillars of the House– high jewelry (extraordinary one-of-a-kind creations), bridal (engagement rings and wedding bands), and collections (highlighting signature lines such as Butterfly, Tilda’s Bow, Wild Flower and Classic Graff). The selection includes jewelry, watches, and the Graff collection of six Lesedi La Rona fragrances in crystal flacons.

Exclusive to the South Coast Plaza salon is an exquisite high jewelry set featuring over 150 carats of diamonds that dazzle in an array of fancy shapes, including marquise and pear cuts. The four-piece ensemble consists of a 50.62-carat bracelet, 16.01-carat drop earrings, a 84.81-carat necklace and a 3.02-carat ring.

The latest high jewelry collection, Graff Galaxia, was introduced on April 8, with a campaign shot by Swedish photographer Mikael Jansson, using cutting-edge visual effects, and styled by former Vogue Paris editor-in-chief Emmanuelle Alt. Inspired by the beauty of the galaxy, the heavenly creations (crafted of 1,160 carats of yellow and white diamonds, emeralds, rubies and sapphires) adorn Dutch model Rianne van Rompaey. A first for a high jewelry campaign, the imagery captures cinematic footage of the aurora borealis and green celestial flashes on high-definition video walls as background to showcase a return to the brand’s Green Lady motif. Originally introduced in the early 2000s and reconceived in 2018, the Green Lady symbolizes feminine power.

“Flowing lines and curves are soft and elegant, while the stones themselves radiate a bold beauty—mirroring the fearless presence of Galaxia,” says Graff design director Anne-Eva Geffroy.

At the centerpiece of the Galaxia campaign is a necklace with three rare 4 carat lozenge-shaped Colombian emeralds and diamonds, alongside coordinating earrings, bracelets, and a 17-carat emerald-cut Columbian emerald and diamond ring. Another show-stopper is a pair of earrings set with 21-carat fancy yellow radiant-cut diamonds, surrounded by rows of white diamonds. That piece is partnered with 36-carat and 9-carat fancy intense yellow cushion-cut diamond rings—the latter shaped in a half-moon silhouette set with white diamonds.