KING OF DIAMONDS

The beging of the Graff brand was an unimaginable achievement in 1962 , opening his first shop in Hatton Garden. Talking about his life and work, both in his boardroom in Albemarle Street and over two days in his art-filled chalet in Gstaad, Switzerland, I sense that despite his slight build and reserved demeanour, his vision knows no boundaries.

GRAFF book , is one of the design of Graff jewels, and the other documenting is about his life. one of his storeis is about his mother taking him as a 15-year-old to his first job, as an apprentice at Schindler’s workshop in Hatton Garden. “How far can my son go?” asked Mrs Graff, hoping that she’d chosen a trade with decent prospects. “The sky’s the limit,” Mr Schindler prophesied – although, three months later, Schindler let the teenager go, saying he’d never make the grade in the jewellery business.

Today Graff is completely vertically integrated, from the company’s 15 per cent share in Gem Diamonds (which owns 70 per cent of the Letseng diamond mine in Lesotho) through facilities in New York, the wholesale business selling diamonds to the jewellery trade, to the design, creation and crafting of Graff jewellery, all under one roof, in the London global head office. This extends right the way through to the fast-expanding retail empire, with some 55 boutiques and points of sale around the world.