GRAFF-High Jewelry

Custom Content from WSJ is a unit of The Wall Street Journal Advertising Department. The Wall Street Journal news organization was not involved in the creation of this content.

Wall Street Journal Custom Content is a unit of The Wall Street Journal advertising department. The Wall Street Journal news organization was not involved in the creation of this content.

Heritage and innovation are at the heart of a new collection that draws on sirens of the sea for inspiration.

High Jewelry Meets Ancient Mythology

Listening to the Stones

With access to such extraordinary precious stones comes great responsibility. Designers focus heavily on finding exciting new ways to present the jewels, all while referencing the signature facets Graff’s illustrious following has come to hold in high regard.

Though the whole spectrum of precious colored stones is explored with these high jewelry offerings, fancy yellow diamonds take a starring role in the Legends of the Mermaids “chapter.” “When it comes to designing with these rare gems, we always listen to the stones,” Geffroy says. “Will a collection of yellow diamonds look best grouped together in a cluster, to intensify the color, or alternated with white diamonds so as not to steal the show? We approach each design with the same question: How can we showcase these gems to best accentuate their innate natural beauty?”

For the Legends of the Mermaids release, Geffroy and her creative team designed necklaces dripping with intricately set yellow diamonds that conjure up images of a mermaid emerging from the ocean. An oval yellow diamond ring features a classic Graff setting and uses sculptural lines and light to appear as though it’s floating on the hand. “The mythical, magical allure of the mermaids is perfectly captured by the fantastical beauty of the jewels,” Geffroy says. “These really are fantasy pieces.”

Graff yellow and white diamond earrings (21.75cts), set in yellow and white gold

Our high jewelry creations are always inspired by the stones, but we also have the complete freedom to experiment with different design visions.

Heritage Meets Innovation

Graff’s legacy lies in its attention to detail and use of only the most exceptional stones. But the House is also committed to innovation. To bring these artistic endeavors in high jewelry to life, they employ the use of computer-aided designs to set gems more precisely than ever before. “By virtually creating exact replicas of the stones, we can play with them on the screen, working out how best to design a complex architecture of joints, hinges and cradles, known as collets, that is strong yet barely discernible,” says Sam Sherry, general manager of the workshop at Graff. “This ensures the stones remain the center of attention within the piece.” This digital tool also allows Graff to experiment with the size and angle of the gems, providing the ability to introduce even greater depth to the jewels. But while this cutting-edge technology helps increase the intricacy Sherry’s team is able to achieve, it is the techniques done by hand that make a Graff piece wearable art. For example, a yellow and white diamond necklace in the Legend of the Mermaids chapter exceeded 250 hours in handcrafting alone.

The necklace is exceptional in other ways as well, honoring Graff’s commitment to quality. “It is very rare to find a collection of perfectly matched yellow diamonds such as this, and even rarer still to place them all in a single jewel,” Geffroy says. “Other jewelers simply don’t have the exceptional range of gems to choose from that enables us to create these magnificent combinations of precious color."

Graff yellow and white diamond earrings (30.88cts), set in yellow and white gold

A Multifaceted Collaboration

Ultimately, it’s the cooperative efforts of the master designers and craftspeople that bring this high jewelry collection to life. Once the creative vision for a piece leaves the design department, the workshop remains in regular communication with them to ensure their artful arrangement meets the highest bar. “The designers share their work with us as two-dimensional gouache drawings and it is the technology team’s job to turn them into reality,” Sherry says. “We build a three-dimensional render of the drawing that replicates the shape and form of the original design, consulting with the designers every step of the way to ensure it retains the spirit of the piece.”

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“Our high jewelry creations are always inspired by the stones, but we also have the complete freedom to experiment with different design visions,” says Anne-Eva Geffroy, design director at Graff. “With the Graffabulous collection, we are pushing the design language of the House—and the possibilities of our craft—like never before.”

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Graff yellow and white diamond necklace (122.71cts), set in yellow and white gold

Great artists have long looked to the myths of ancient times to inspire thoroughly modern masterpieces. The mermaid in particular, with her siren song and beguiling beauty, has acted as a prolific muse throughout the ages. For their latest high jewelry campaign, Graff has found fresh inspiration from the Legend of the Mermaids, crafting pieces for the first release of their Graffabulous collection as an ode to the mystical aquatic nymphs. The release features an array of pieces set with the magnificent precious gems for which the House is known.

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design director at Graff

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Regard for each jewel that comes through the House is a shared characteristic among all of Graff’s artisans and it’s evident in the final product. “We are showcasing the incredible colored gems with which we work all the time, with many parures featuring extraordinary collections of sapphires, emeralds, rubies and yellow diamonds, alongside the white diamonds that have long been a signature of our high jewelry,” Geffroy says. “Graffabulous is a true celebration of color of the most precious kind.”

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Graff yellow and white diamond necklace (122.71cts), set in yellow and white gold

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Graff yellow and white diamond earrings (21.75cts), set in yellow and white gold

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Anne-Eva Geffroy

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