Photos Courtesy of Graff Diamonds
To commemorate the 60th anniversary of world renowned jewelers Graff Diamonds, founder Laurence Graff has recreated their iconic image originally photographed in 1970. The new Hair & Jewel photo features 22 rare diamond pieces that total over $500 million. Working with some of the largest and rarest stones in the world, the company legacy of Graff is manifested through this sparkling reinvention.
Founding his namesake company in 1960, Laurence Graff started small, setting up in department stores in Singapore before moving into exhibitions around the world. In 1970, he created the Hair & Jewel coiffure, a $1 million design of diamonds and jewels perched on the head of a model with hair fashioned after 18th century Versailles. The campaign sparked immediate success for the company and by 1973 Graff became the first jeweler to be presented the Queen’s Award to Industry and a year later opened the first flagship store in London and acquired the first of many famous diamonds for the jeweler, the Star of Bombay.
True to this heritage of luxury and acquisition of extraordinary diamonds, the new Hair & Jewel showcases 22 of some of the finest and rarest diamonds in the world. Included is a pair of earrings featuring the Graff Sweethearts, two matching heart-shaped, flawless 51.53ct and 50.76ct diamonds obtained in 2011. Pieces like the 331.11ct Diamond Butterfly Broach, D Flawless Pear Shaped Earrings, and Pink and White Diamond Flower Broach were all cut from the 550ct Letšeng Star, the 14th largest white rough diamond ever discovered.
“My jewelry is classic. It’s not intricate, it’s not abstract. It’s beautiful, classic jewelry with magnificent gems,” Laurence Graff explains. Made entirely of diamonds, some of the largest rare colored stones are threaded throughout the model’s hair including a internally flawless 10.47ct blue diamond, a 52.73ct vivid yellow emerald cut diamond and a pink 9.07 emerald cut diamond. Even after 40 years since the original image was shot, this recreation still showcases the history of Graff's work with diamonds beautifully.
