Anne-Eva Geffroy speaks at breakneck speed. She talks about her work, her designs, her inspirations and, above all, the diamonds, the excitement of which bubbles up like the “boiling water” she uses as a metaphor to describe life in Graff. She grabs the diamonds with the enthusiasm of a new recruit, although she has been in charge of design since 2010. With her team of six designers, she imagines every piece of Graff, from fine jewelery to unique pieces. In ten years, she has seen more extraordinary diamonds than most people will see in their lifetime, but she still gets chills when she lays her eyes on certain stones.
Geffroy’s fast-paced approach is reflected in Graff’s HQ in Mayfair, a stone’s throw from the Bond Street store. It’s a real hive of activity. Boxes of loose stones rush from the gemologists to the design studio; the sketches are sent to the boardroom to be signed; an approved arrangement of stones descends to the workshop in the basement. Designers and artisans constantly converse and collaborate.
A shared goal? Perfection.
If you’re lucky, you might see a diamond the size of a quail’s egg, like the one in the Crown Jewels, being extracted from a safe. And chances are the next time you see it will be in a store window. “There’s no waiting room,” Geffroy laughs. “The rhythm is intense!”
Graff’s fast pace comes from its vertically integrated structure. The company has its own diamond buying and polishing division, which ensures an abundant supply for Geffroy and his team. “The stones are ours from start to finish. As a designer, it’s a dream”. Each piece is manufactured, set, polished, marketed and sold within the company. Geffroy estimates that the workshop produces an average of 300 pieces per month, which represents only a tiny fraction of the “millions” of ideas it generates.
“The stones are the star of the show.”
His ideas almost always start with diamonds. “The stones are the star of the show. Each of them has a personality that speaks to us. Some obviously need to be alone. Others are even more beautiful in an adornment. We find the best way to make them live”. The first sketches are developed in gouaches, then in CAD renderings that take into account technical architecture, movement and portability. Each piece is signed by a member of the Graff family, who still own and run the business. Laurence Graff’s parents, who founded Graff Diamonds in 1960, carry on the spirit of risk-taking and adventure that drove him from the East End to become the billionaire chairman of a global jewelry house.
Setting a yellow diamond ring
This spirit is found throughout the company,” says Mr. Geffroy. “On day one, Mr. He asked me to create a necklace and I thought, oh my God, all on one necklace? He said to me: “Why not? Play with. It is a reflection of our way of working. I think I surprised him, and the necklace sold out right away”.
