Graff: A Gift Guide to the London Diamond House

Laurence Graff founded the house in London in 1960, and it has remained closely identified with him and with an uncompromising focus on diamonds. Where many jewellers begin with a design and source stones to fit it, Graff's reputation rests on the opposite approach: an exceptional stone is found, studied and cut, and the setting is designed to show it at its best.

That focus runs through the whole business. Graff is known for handling diamonds from rough through cutting and polishing to the finished jewel, which is why the house is so often associated with record-breaking and named stones, including the Lesedi La Rona, the large rough diamond from Botswana that Graff acquired and cut.

There is also a South African thread to the story. Laurence Graff's Delaire Graff Estate in the Stellenbosch winelands is a well-known name locally, and southern Africa's diamond heritage sits close to the house's own.

Graff's high jewellery is built around single important stones, but the house also has recognisable collections that are more approachable as gifts. The ones buyers most often ask about:

• Butterfly: a delicate butterfly silhouette set with diamonds, sometimes combined with coloured gems. Light, feminine and easy to wear daily.
• Tilda's Bow: a softly knotted bow motif, named after Laurence Graff's granddaughter. It reads as romantic rather than formal.
• Icon: based on the Graff emblem, with a cleaner, more graphic look that suits someone with a minimal style.
• Spiral: a sense of movement, with diamonds curving around the piece.

Across every line, the common denominator is stone quality. Graff is known for using highly graded diamonds even in smaller pieces, which is part of why the brilliance is so distinctive. For a closer look at pendants, earrings, rings and bracelets, see our Graff jewellery guide.

A first Graff piece usually works best when it is small, wearable and unmistakably the house's own. A few principles help:

1. Start with earrings or a pendant. Studs and single-motif pendants do not need sizing, which removes the biggest risk of buying jewellery as a surprise.
2. Match the motif to the person. Butterfly suits someone playful and nature-minded, Tilda's Bow someone romantic, Icon someone who prefers clean lines.
3. Choose the metal from what they already wear. Look at their everyday jewellery and watch: white gold or platinum, yellow gold or rose gold.
4. Leave rings for later, unless you know the size or the ring is an engagement piece chosen together.

Graff suits the moments that deserve something lasting: a milestone birthday, a significant anniversary gift, the birth of a child or a graduation. If you are weighing it against other jewellery houses, our guide to Van Cleef & Arpels is a useful comparison: both are highly considered, but Van Cleef is defined by motif and colour, Graff by the diamond.

Graff sits at the very top of the diamond jewellery market, and even the smallest pieces represent a serious purchase. What drives the price is largely the stones: carat weight, colour, clarity and cut, followed by the precious metal, the number of diamonds in a pavé setting and the complexity of the design.

In practice, two pieces from the same collection can differ widely depending on size and stone count. A sensible way to plan is to set a ceiling first, then decide whether that budget is better spent on a single larger diamond or on a smaller piece with a more recognisable motif. In rand terms, exchange rates also shift what an international house's pieces cost locally over time. For other directions at different budgets, browse our wider jewellery guide.

Because Graff's value lies in its stones, authenticity is worth checking carefully, especially for pre-owned pieces.

• Look for hallmarks and house stamps on the metal, including the Graff name and metal fineness marks.
• Ask about diamond documentation. Graff is known for supplying grading documentation with significant stones, and larger diamonds are typically laser-inscribed on the girdle, visible under magnification.
• Assess the craftsmanship. Settings should be clean and even, with no glue, rough prongs or dull, cloudy stones.
• Be cautious of prices that look too low. With diamonds of this calibre, a bargain is a warning sign.

If you have a specific piece in mind, whether a Butterfly pendant or a pair of studs, tell us what you are looking for and we will come back to you by email with options.