Elite Traveler Winter 2019

elite traveler WINTER 2019 89

While Graff creates jewelry in many price ranges, its most iconic stones are set into pieces that will become the legacies of tomorrow. And of course, these famous stones all have incredible stories. One such stone is a 3.5-carat round blue diamond of the highest quality that just does not seem to want to leave Graff. “My father had a client who was wearing a ring, and the stone was so blue and beautiful that my father admired it as a zircon. The client told him it was a blue diamond, and my father bought it,” says Francois. “We have sold that stone three times, and it has always come back to us.” Recently, it was sold again, but the client changed their mind, and the stone remains with Graff. “It is a strange and peculiar thing,” says Francois. “It has an affinity for this company and doesn’t want to leave.” When I asked Francois if he has a favorite stone, his answer was akin to a parent’s; he says, “There are so many stories and so many beautiful stones that it is like asking which child you like best. You can’t choose.” But when pressed, he does manage to choose a favorite ‘child:’ the Eternal Twins, a pair of sensational earrings that came from a 270-carat diamond rough. After careful study of the stone, it was cut into two diamonds that are incredibly similar in both measurement and weight, each weighing 50.23 carats. “They’re almost identical and are so extraordinary. I don’t think we will ever repeat that in the history of our company,” says Francois, noting that the stones are set as the final drops in a pair of high-jewelry diamond earrings. Finding, cutting, polishing and setting such spectacular stones is truly what sets Graff apart. “Hopefully, because of our stones, our designs and quality, we are the brand customers go to when they want the best of the best,” says Francois. And while each stone creates a legacy for its new owner, it also continues the legacy of the Graff family.

Francois Graff

graff.com

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