How did the idea for an exhibition develop? While Graff is synonymous with diamonds, our legacy is also attributed to Laurence Graff’s skill for harnessing the vibrant potential of the world’s most beautiful colored gemstones. Each and every gemstone is personally selected by a member of the Graff family to ensure their peerless quality and enchanting personalities. The Burst of Colors exhibition celebrates this rich heritage; our legacy of finding the most potent hues and remarkable shades and setting them alongside the sensational bright fire of Graff diamonds. Color is integral to our design journey – it can reflect our mood, our passions and our dreams – so it is crucial that we interpret the language of gemstones into creations that capture these sensibilities. The Burst of Colors exhibition allows us to bring a kaleidoscope of pieces to our U.S. salons, introducing clients to some of our most rare and remarkable jewels.
What are some of the most unique pieces in the show? The exhibition is composed entirely of unique pieces, featuring exemplary stones of their kind – our sapphires are the deepest, velvet blue, while our rubies are the richest, most vivid red imaginable. Whether it be Columbian emeralds or Fancy Vivid yellow diamonds, Graff jewels demonstrate extraordinary character and peerless color, and our design codes further accent their beauty. One piece in particular, a 27.63 carat Burmese sapphire cabochon and diamond ring, is a stellar example of how we complement these extraordinary colored stones with the purest, scintillating white diamonds. Pieces from our ‘Inspired by Twombly’ collection, a series of jewels that celebrate the calligraphic artworks of Cy Twombly, prove how rubies can be used to striking effect, while a 4.96 carat Vivid Blue marquise diamond ring is one of the rarest colored diamonds in existence.
How does the “Burst of Color” exhibition highlight Graff’s global presence? Our jewels are able to speak to our clients all over the world thanks to their colorful allure - color is a powerful force that transcends all borders, languages, ages and cultures. It is important to us that the infinite wonder of our most special pieces is experienced worldwide, so that we can share the extraordinary talents of our master craftsmen with every corner of the globe. The Burst of Colors exhibition will be presented in San Francisco, followed by Bal Harbour and Palm Beach, and is an exciting opportunity to introduce our American clients to a rainbow of Graff jewels.
What is something unexpected people will learn or find in the show? Many people automatically conjure rubies, sapphires and emeralds to mind when they think of colored gemstones, but the House of Graff also has peerless expertise in cutting and polishing colored diamonds – some of the rarest and most precious stones in existence. These magnificent stones are myriad in hue, ranging from gentle, buttercup shades of yellow to vibrant Fancy Vivid tones, as well as pink and even blue diamonds. Our master craftsmen are experts in handling these remarkable stones, which require special cutting and polishing techniques – no one understands how to unleash the dramatic colors within these stones quite like Graff.
How does Graff blend an artistic approach with design techniques? Art informs so many of our designs - we take inspiration from both contemporary and classic artists, as well as architecture, music and the natural world. Our job as designers is to interpret the beauty of the world around us, and allow the jewels to tell the story. Sometimes we do this by referencing the works of specific artists, but often it is about capturing a particular rhythm, a hypnotic sense of movement or just allowing your intuition to dictate how the stones should interact within a particular piece. We are lucky that Laurence Graff is one of the world’s foremost art collectors, and he believes that every Graff jewel is a masterpiece that will last a lifetime.
