graff

Graff BabyGraff Collection Watches

Cute watches such as this are deceptively expensive. Graff does amazing things with precious stones and this one is charming and extremely feminine. The cases of these BabyGraff watches by Graff are 21mm wide in white gold. The straps or bracelets are very thin and done to emphasize the bracelet like quality and delicate nature of the design. If you opt for a strap they are matching galuchat (stingray) or lizard skin. The more luxurious models have the full diamond and precious stone bracelets that match the motif of the case and dial.

The cases are available in a few styles that emphasis either only diamonds, or diamonds and rubies, sapphires, or emeralds. The time is displayed via a pair of dauphine style hands and a Swiss quartz movement. There is a triangular cut stone in each as the 12 o'clock marker, and more more hour indicators in a small flange ring around the dial. I appreciate the extra effort used to make the as legible as possible. What is also interesting is that the watches feature an array of stone cuts, including baguette, princess, trilliant, trapeze, and triangle. Look for them soon where Graff watches are sold.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: babygraff, diamonds, graff, watch, watches

Graff ScubaGraff Diver's Watch

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

Since when is it OK for a super high-end diamond seller and jewelry maker to make diving watches? Never, but Graff did it anyway. Not just that, but their audacity paid off because the ScubaGraff watch is a real horological winner. I love this thing. You can't tell on the dial, but the caseback has some Octopus tentacle images, while more are engraved in the metal work of the DLC black coated deployment strap (with a nifty micro-adjust feature).

Graff is being skimpy with details so I don't know pricing or the case size. The watch will be available in steel and gold, with a DLC black rotating diver's bezel. The case will be water resistant to 300 meters and have a helium release valve. I love the liquid blue dial and large easy to see hands. It wouldn't be a Graff without diamonds. Note the trapeze cut diamond as the 12 o'clock hour indicator. I believe it will be an emerald on the gold cased version. There is another precious stone in the crown. Inside the watch is an automatic movement with 50 hours of power reserve. There is also a unique 30 minute count-down timer on the dial, not sure how that is activated though. Really a cool diving watch from Graff - even if it is destined to be incredibly excessive.

Ariel Adams publishes the wrist watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: dive, diver, diving, graff, scubagraff, watches

Gem Records set at Christie's Hong Kong Auction

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Auctions

Hong Kong's fall sales have been great for records, for Christie's in particular. After several were broken at the art auction this week, the gem scene was ignited. A pink diamond no larger than a chickpea went for $10.8 million, according to Bloomberg News. The stone had the second-highest rating available (potentially flawless) and a weight of 5 carats. It shattered the per-carat record set back in May. Back then, Hong Kong property investor Joseph Lau picked up a 7.03-carat blue diamond at an auction in Geneva for $10.5 million.

The pink diamond was sent under the gavel by Graff Diamonds, a London-based jeweler. The stone was sold to a phone bidder who beat out Liu Yiqian and his wife, Wang Wei. But, those two have bought enough already, right?

Overall, the 255 lots sold (an 89 percent sell rate) brought in HK$372 million, with the action pushed forward by mainland Chinese, a growing trend in the auction world this year. Donald May, a ruby and sapphire dealer based in Hong Kong, attended the auction and told Bloomberg, "There's a lot of mainland Chinese buying; either they didn't know what the items are worth or they wanted them so badly that price didn't matter." He believes that prices were pushed way out of control.

There were other records set in Hong Kong, as well. A sapphire weighing 16.65 carats, set by Van Cleef & Arpels, brought in HK$18.6 million, also setting a per-carat record.

[Photo courtesy of Christie's]

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Graff Diamonds Leads Effort to Raise Money for Africa's Children

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Art, Charity

Damien Hirst is again playing the role of philanthropist (so I have to be nice), along with Raqib Shaw and Marc Quinn. The artists have donated paintings to an auction that London jeweler Laurence Graff is holding for FACET (For Africa's Children Every Time). Graff wants to raise $1.26 million for the organization, which seeks to support the education, health and quality of life of children in Africa ... where Graff Diamonds picks up most of its raw material.

Graff's event follows several other charity auctions this year, all of which were pretty impressive in their results. Sotheby's raised ₤453,950 for two organizations that help orphans in Africa, and Christie's raised an astounding €342.5 million at its Yves Saint Laurent collection auction back in February – the money will be used to fund HIV research and fight the spread of AIDS.

The first lot donated was by Graff himself: diamond earrings estimated to be worth around ₤80,000. The other paintings (e.g., by Hirst) are pegged at around ₤100,000 each.

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Graff Superstar Diamonds Lady's Watch

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

There are diamond watches, and then there are diamond watches like this. Graff metaphorically knocks on the door of luxury with a resounding "bling bling!" arrival announcement. You simply don't get too much more "diamond watch" than this timepiece figuratively held hostage by the precious stones. The case and bracelet (what little of it is actually metal!) is done in 18k white gold while a dizzying collection of 176 diamonds on the case and another 94 diamonds on the bracelet that crowd the design of the watch like a bunch of too many densely packed wealthy neighbors. The entire watch has 59 carats of pure glitzy glory.

Likewise the timepiece is known as the Superstar, or GraffSuperstar. Whatever the title, this watch is is certainly a statement about the woman wearing it. However that statement might be "I enjoy rubies and emeralds in my breakfast cereal." Sorry gentlemen, we will have to settle for a less diamond studded version. Stones on the Superstar watch are in trilliant and trapeze cuts that gives a very modern and angular shape that is also quite cohesive. Round cut stones make for good decor, but these more angular cuts allow for a more tiled look that enhances the "total diamond watch" style that Graff is going for. My instincts tell me that the movement inside the watch is Swiss quartz. The dial of the watch is no testament to legibility, but should be readable - a nice trapeze cut emerald is the only non-diamond stone of the bunch and serves as the 12 o'clock marker. Not the type of watch you want to wear publicly in certain parts of the world, cost to likely be tantamount to purchase of said parts of the world.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: diamond, diamonds, graff, ladies, lady, ladys, superstar, watch

The Dream Diamond

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry

Flipping through a magazine, I was caught by the new Graff ad for the "Dream" diamond. The ad depicts the 100.09 carat vivid yellow diamond set in a ring against Graff's traditional green ad background. On the web however, all the pictures show the massive gem as a pendant. The diamond was launched last month by jeweler Laurence Graff. According to an article in the IHT, Graff knew he had a showstopper when he saw the rough crystal in Kimberley, Africa. The cushion-cut stone is a bit lighter than the original 190.72 carat weight but retains a brilliant hue which makes it prized in the diamond world.

The stone is around an inch square which makes it a bit unwieldy for a ring but I'm sure someone would delight in the weight. The price is $26 million. Similarly colored diamonds in the 10-carat range have sold for around $300,000 but this gobstopper gem commands such a high price because the size of the gem makes it extremely rare.

[picture via Luxury Launches]

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Tags: dream diamond, graff, jewelry, yellow diamond

Forbes List of Million Dollar Jewels

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry

Just in time for Valentine's Day, Forbes breaks out their list of the world's most expensive jewels. The big pieces feature massive diamonds and many smaller, rare colored diamonds as well as sapphires, rubies and emeralds. Forbes did a cute thing with their slide show listing not only the price but the "macho-guy equivalent." This Cartier brooch includes a 65.9-carat Ceylon sapphire, 102 cabochon sapphires, 868 diamonds and a pair of emerald eyes. It costs $1.1 million or in "guy terms" 147 cases of Macallan 30-Year-Old Single Malt Scotch.

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Tags: bulgari, cartier, diamonds, forbes, graff, jewelry, platinum, romance, valentine's day