Graff Diamonds is a young company. It was only founded in 1960, yet it is already in the big leagues. This year, it celebrates the 50th anniversary of its iconic Graff Butterfly.
Founder Laurence Graff and his son François have had their hands on some of the world’s finest diamonds, including the Lesotho Promise, the Delaire Sunrise, the Wittelsbach-Graff, the Graff Perfection, the Graff Pink, the Golden Empress and the Lesedi La Rona (1,109 carats), the latter acquired for $53 million from the Lucara Diamond Corporation in 2017. It’s worth remembering what a phenomenon Graff is when it comes to these rarest of stones, and yet it is tiny butterflies of light that have us talking about the London jeweler today, with Graff celebrating the 50th anniversary of its iconic Butterfly model. Over the years, the motif has evolved into both high jewelry creations and everyday jewelry, capturing all the delicacy of this symbol of lightness.
A signature style
Created in 1975, the Graff Butterfly has spent five decades redesigning its shape. Initially paved with diamonds and colored stones – seventies fashion was joyfully colorful – the Butterfly became more discreet in the early 2000s. All in diamonds, adopting the pear and marquise shapes that suit its total elegance so well, it appeared for the first time in 2013 on a watch in its current form, a simple composition of 4 bodiless wings in marquise diamonds converging on a central point.
For the collection celebrating the 50th anniversary of its icon, the jewelry house placed swarms of butterflies on the jewels. Arranged asymmetrically on emerald and diamond necklaces, chains and bracelets, they reflect the untamed spirit of nature. On other jewels, they embody a poetic flight, aligned with their outstretched wings that repeat endlessly like a wave on water.
Closer to the light
One of the most majestic pieces in the new collection is a necklace featuring a snow-set arc of 57.13 carats of emerald. In the center, a diamond of over 5 carats catches the light, from which a kaleidoscope of butterflies with marquise wings blooms.
On another piece, nine butterflies flutter around the necklace, as if attracted by the light. Their wings are paved with snow-set brilliants. In the center, an oval diamond or ruby represents the animal’s body. Each is set in a different orientation, suggesting the irregularity of nature. Meticulously thought out by the House’s workshops, this set captures the light from every angle. The tip of the necklace ends in a pear-shaped diamond, as if a sparkling dewdrop were escaping from it.
Graff is one of the few jewelers to master the entire creation and production process from its workshops in Mayfair, London. It has once again proven its unique talent for enhancing nature through the brilliance of its meticulously selected diamonds. The Butterfly has become the English House’s graceful and lightweight icon, as it honors 50 years of craftsmanship and excellence with a creativity that has never wavered over the years.
Images : Graff
