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Magazine for Graff Diamonds
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CONTACT FOR MORE INFORMATION:
+ 377 97 77 37 77 / [email protected]
The images depicted in this advertisement are an artist’s representation only and are in no way a claim by the sponsor as to the final product.
All dimensions are approximate and subject to normal construction variances and tolerances. Sponsor makes no representation or warranties except as may be set forth in the Offering Plan.
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CONTENTS16 A FINE BALANCE Famous for
his monumental mobile sculptures,
Alexander Calder’s legacy lives on
in the foundation set up his name to
promote contemporary art
44 GOLDEN HARVEST Fast
becoming one of South Africa’s
premier cellars, the latest vintage
from the Delaire Graff Estate looks
set to be another award-winner
62 PRIME TIME The face of things
to come is most elegantly captured
in Graff’s new collection of beautifully
crafted wristwatches for discerning
connoisseurs of haute horology
24 RISE AND SHINE In
Botswana a new diamond centre
has become a force for good,
bringing the skilful art of diamond
polishing home to the place where
50 FRUITS OF THE EARTH
The most flawless of gems are
fruitfully fashioned into exquisitely
tasteful brooches, bracelets,
necklaces, earrings and rings
68 DESERT ROSE From coastal
villages to cosmopolitan economies,
the Gulf states have catapulted
to dizzying commercial, and now
cultural and sporting, heights
30 THE DREAM The natural
beauty of exquisite stones is set off
to bewitching perfection against a
background of lush leafery, tropical
creatures and glamorous gowns
58 THE WILD ONE Sought after
by the fashion elite for his superior
store designs, innovative architect
Peter Marino does everything but
follow the trendsetting pack
76 A WORD WITH... Michel
Pitteloud. The CEO of Graff Luxury
Watches tells the story behind Graff’s
incomparable new timepiece, the
MasterGraff Skeleton Automatic
56 44
50
68
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Published for Graff by Show Media Ltd
1-2 Ravey Street, London EC2A 4QP
+44 (0) 20 3222 0101; www.showmedia.net
Editor Joanne Glasbey
Creative Director Ian Pendleton
Art Director Dominic Bell
Managing Editor Zai Shamis
Chief Copy Editor Chris Madigan
Picture Editor Juliette Hedoin
Copy Editors Sarah Evans, Cate Langmuir, Gill Wing
Managing Director Peter Howarth
For Graff
Katherine Roach, Joanne Hill, Lily Liebel, Adam Norton,
Jessica Lansley, Charlotte Dauphin, Holly Howe
Advertising Penny Weatherall, Joanne Hill and Katherine Roach
at Graff; +44 (0)20 7584 8571; [email protected]
Colour reproduction by FMG; www.wearefmg.com
Printing by Taylor Bloxham; www.taylorbloxham.co.uk
Cover photography Matthew Shave Styling Michelle Duguid
On the cover The Graff Sweethearts, 51.53ct and 50.76ct
heart shape D Flawless diamonds set as earrings with pear
shape and round diamonds. 56.15ct Heart shape D Internally
Flawless diamond ring. Dress by Carlos Miele. Flowers by
Maison de Fleurs, maisondefleurs.co.uk
MA
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Laurence Graff
Chairman of Graff Diamonds
At Graff Diamonds we pride ourselves on our vision, from sourcing the best quality,
beautiful and rare stones by eye, to leading the way in design excellence and
craftsmanship, and using our expert understanding to help steer the future path of
our industry. Botswana is the world’s largest producer of diamonds and is now
being developed into a nation that will experience huge benefits from being the
home of nature’s most precious stones. In this issue, Sarah Carpin discovers
the new Graff Diamond Technology Park where Graff’s diamond polishers use
the world’s most advanced technology to unleash the full potential in every rough diamond. It takes
real expertise to look into a rough diamond and see how this can be achieved.
The artist Alexander Calder not only created great visual spectacles with his remarkable
mobiles but also crafted a sculptural language that was international in its scope; George Pendle
discusses the artist’s lexicon and legacy with Calder’s grandson Alexander Rower, who set up the
Calder Foundation. Having great vision is a necessity in an architect. The maverick Peter Marino
creates grand retail theatre from lines on a blueprint, with a particular skill for coding a brand’s DNA
into the design. Here, Marino talks context and contemporary art with Nick Compton.
Vision is what has led the FACET Foundation, by partnering with local charities in sub-Saharan
Africa, to help transform lives. The perseverance and energy poured in by the project leaders, to run
initiatives that really do change the course of young people’s futures, is inspiring. We feature the story
of one perceptive 22-year-old who dreamt of becoming a nurse but had little means or hope originally
to achieve his goal. After participating in a Graff Leadership Centre programme, he has not only been
offered a place on a nursing course, but is a peer mentor at the Centre. Giving back is so important.
I hope you enjoy this issue, and also invite you to explore our new website and discover the
jewels and watches of Graff in all their beautiful detail at www.graffdiamonds.com
SOCIAL DIARY
alPiNE PEak On 27 December 2011, guests gathered for a festive cocktail
party in the opulent setting of the the five-star Grand Hotel Park (4) – recently
refurbished to create one of Switzerland’s most stylish destinations – to
celebrate the opening of the first Graff store in Gstaad. Among the guests were
Aida Hersham & Anne Marie Graff (5); Mr & Mrs Hans-Peter Kortlepel (6); Baroness
Edmonde Labbe, Johannes Niederhauser & HRH Prince Victor Emmanuel of Savoy (7)
hEart oF saN FraNcisco In November 2011, Graff Diamonds hosted the
opening party for its new flagship San Francisco store on Post Street,
Graff’s first in California. The evening raised money for the UCSF Benioff
Children’s Hospital. Guests included Elizabeth Thieriot (8); Bita Daryabari (9);
Lynne Benioff & Mark Laret, CEO of the UCSF Medical Center (10); Marissa
Mayer, with Laurence Graff (11); and Yurie and Carl Pascarella (12)
ElEctric atMosPhErE A collaboration between Graff and electric supercar
maker Tesla created a stir in Tokyo in February. Guests included Ai Matsuzawa,
Kevin Yu & Catherine Kabayashi (1); Mr & Mrs Koichi Nezu with Graff salesperson
Hiroe Hatakeyama (2); and Ken Takahashi (3)
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hollywood royalty As the official jeweller of the 18th annual Screen Actors Guild awards
and sponsor of the Green Room, at the Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, at the end of January,
Graff welcomed a number of movie stars, who mingled with VIP guests among the jewellery
cases. They included actresses Jo Beth Williams & Sofia Vergara (22, with Karen Kovacs,
publisher of People magazine, and Lisa Paulsen of the Entertainment Industry Foundation);
Marianne Lafiteau & Henri Barguirdjian, Robert & Sheryl Goldstein, John & Alex Goldstein (23)
harbour lights The Villa by Barton G was the exclusive venue for a special
client dinner to celebrate the opening of the new Graff store in Bal Harbour,
Florida in April. Among the guests were Marco & Vanessa Selva, Graff New York
MD Peter Kairis, Jill Viner & Barton G Weiss (13); Roberto Knibel, Mrs Lindeman,
Count & Countess von Montgelas & Mr Lindeman (14); Graff Bal Harbour store
manager Susan Pullin, Thomas & Katia Bates (15); and Mr & Mrs Milstein (16)
Florida PriMary In January, Graff hosted a dinner, prepared by chef
Todd English (21, with Henri Barguirdjian, President & CEO of Graff USA)
at the Henry Morrison Flagler Museum in Palm Beach, Florida. It was
attended by VIPs including Robert Cuillo (17, with Graff assistant
manager Diana Salandra), as well as Graff models (18); and served as
the curtain-raiser for the Cavallino Car Classic, the convention for Ferrari
owners at The Breakers, Palm Beach (19), where guests such as Mr & Mrs
Timothy Rooney (20) enjoyed the hospitality of the Graff tent
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hong kong highlight
a wonderful day The bride and groom, Mr & Mrs Hung, far left.
Centre, from top: the bride with her bridesmaids, Michelle Chen, Kay Lim,
and Alona Alvarez; the Ritz-Carlton’s Diamond Ballroom; the groom joins in
the dancing; Mrs Deborah Hung, née Valdez, modelling exquisite Graff jewellery.
Above, from top: Mr Stephen Hung, wearing a MasterGraff Diamond Tourbillon;
The arrival of the beautiful Graff wedding bands; the beautiful bride
The luxurious Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Hong Kong
was the most elegant venue of the enchanting
wedding of Mr Stephen Hung to Ms Deborah
Valdez on 11 January this year. The Diamond
Ballroom provided a beautiful backdrop to the
nuptials, which were attended by the island’s
most illustrious and distinguished individuals.
Mr and Mrs Hung and their notable guests
enjoyed a night of great entertainment and fine
dining to celebrate the joyful occasion. Hong
Kong’s tallest hotel, the Ritz-Carlton – soon to
be the home of the highest jewellery store in
the world, with the opening of the new Graff
store later this summer – decorated the
location in fabulous style befitting such a
wonderful event. We wish Mr and Mrs Hung
a very happy marriage.
14
a finebalance
Renowned foR his mobile sculptuRes, he was one of the 20th centuRy’s most impoRtant
aRtists. today, the foundation set up in alexandeR caldeR’s name not only pReseRves his
legacy but also pRomotes contempoRaRy aRtists, explains GeorGe Pendle
Even someone who’s never
been to an art museum in
their life will have seen them.
They crouch in corporate
plazas like long-limbed
metallic insects, or twist in
the foyers of cultural centres
like filigree spider webs. Starkly silhouetted on
park hills and university campuses, they jaggedly
fuse together ground and sky like massive steel
sutures. It’s uncanny, but wherever you go in the
world, from India to Italy, from Cuba to China,
the sculptures of Alexander Calder seem to have
got there first.
Long before today’s global art scene
existed, Calder was bestriding the world undaunted
by distance or local tastes. Indeed, his creation
of a sculptural language that was seemingly
international in its scope prefigured by half a
century the borderless range of today’s ‘superartists’
such as Takashi Murakami and Olafur Eliasson.
However, Calder’s global popularity has been
something of a double-edged sword. While the
near-universal love for his public-art projects has
allowed him to avoid the fights that surrounded, say,
Richard Serra’s 1981 New York sculpture, ‘Tilted Arc’,
which was destroyed after an outcry, it’s also meant
it has been somewhat ignored by recent critics.
Alexander S C Rower, the artist’s grandson,
has made it his life’s work to change this. In 1987, he
set up the Calder Foundation, in part, to re-educate
the critical establishment. ‘I was disappointed that
curators and other smart people didn’t understand
my grandfather’s work.’ A puckish 48 years old,
Rower is discussing the foundation’s work from
its breathtaking new exhibition space in midtown
New York. ‘In 1931, Calder has his very first show
of abstract work in Paris. The artist Fernand Léger ge
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16
wrote the text for the catalogue and compared
him to Erik Satie and Marcel Duchamp. But, by
1971, he’s not being compared to anyone.’ This was
not entirely the fault of the critics – by the end of
Calder’s life, his artistic reach and influence was so
broad, it was almost impossible to see him clearly.
Born into an artistic family in Philadelphia
in 1898 – his mother was a portrait painter, his
father and grandfather were sculptors – as a child,
Calder would search out what he termed, ‘all the
prettiest stuff in the garbage can’. He made wire
jewellery for his sister’s dolls and gave notice of
his burgeoning talent when, on Christmas Day
in 1909, he gave his parents a tiny dog and duck
made from a brass sheet. The metal had been
skillfully cut and bent so the dog stood on four
legs and the brass duck rocked to and fro when
tapped. It was his first moving sculpture.
Calder studied mechanical engineering
at school and seemed set on a path to become
a hydraulics or automotive engineer. But, by 1923,
the family trade had called him back and he had
moved to New York to join the Art Students
League. He was soon drawing illustrations for the
pages of the National Police Gazette, and it was
while covering a story on the Ringling Brothers
and Barnum & Bailey Circus that he found one
of his earliest, and most famous, inspirations.
The wire and canvas frame of the big top,
the suspension of the trapeze artists in mid-air and
the tightrope walker balanced implausibly above
the horned swoop of the safety net, provided him
with a quiver of motifs he would draw on for years.
‘I was fond of the spatial relations,’ he would say,
And ‘I love the space of the circus.’ It would spark
the creation of the ‘Cirque Calder’ (1926-31) – a
collection of hundreds of tiny sculptural elements
depicting jugglers, chariots, high-wire walkers,
and trapeze artists made from wire, rubber tubing,
cork and pipe cleaners.
In 1926, Calder moved to Paris and began
to put on performances of his circus. Crouching
behind his little big top, he would solemnly move
his cantilevered creations around the ring, creating
an absorbing silent narrative. But the circus was
something other than just a complex miniature.
It was also a form of performance art. ‘The pieces
at the Whitney Museum [where the ‘Cirque Calder’
now resides] were the tools to perform the art,’
explains Rower. ‘But they’re not the work of art.
Watching him perform is the art. His performance
was highly regarded. It wasn’t for kids.’ Word
quickly spread to the leading lights of the Paris
art scene, and the circus was soon visited by Jean
Cocteau, Joan Miró, Piet Mondrian and Léger.
The success of the circus opened up the
world of the avant-garde to Calder. Invited to
Mondrian’s studio in 1930, he cheekily suggested
‘Why must
art be static?
the next step
in sculpture
is motion’
Ca
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ian
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poetry in motion Alexander Calder in his studio,
c1951, previous page. ‘Man’ (1967), opposite, now
in Montreal. A Museum of Modern Art installation,
1944, left. The cover of the catalogue for the
exhibition Alexander Calder: Mobiles, Stabiles,
Constellations, 1946, below. ‘Le Soleil sur la
Montagne’, 1975, Ville de Passy, France, bottom
the coloured rectangles of paper on the wall could
be improved if they were made ‘to oscillate in
different directions and at different amplitudes’.
Mondrian did not agree, yet the question stayed
with Calder. ‘Why must art be static?’ he wrote in
1932. ‘You look at an abstraction, sculpted or
painted, and it is an entirely exciting arrangement
of planes, spheres, nuclei, but entirely without
meaning. It’s perfect, but always still. The next step
in sculpture is motion.’
Calder’s first steps towards applying
motion to his sculptures can be seen in the offices
of the Calder Foundation, where a wire sculpture
of his wife – Rower’s grandmother – hangs from
the ceiling. Rower blows on it to get it moving.
‘The idea that you could have sculpture that was
immaterial was really, really radical,’ he says. ‘Now
we totally recognise it as a sculpture, but, in those
days, the view was, it’s not sculpture as it has no
mass, but it’s not drawing, so what the hell is it?’
The sculpture twists in the air like a wisp of smoke
and, as it turns towards the viewer, it resolves
momentarily into the powerful gaze of Louisa
Calder. For a moment, the viewer’s eyes are locked
on a visage that has more weight, more reality,
than you could think possible from a single piece
of twisted wire, but before you know it the
sculpture has moved on, the face losing narrative
sense, becoming a lyrical cloud of abstract lines
once more. Suddenly, there seems to be one fewer
person in the room.
One of Rower’s main aims with the
foundation is to reassert the experiential quality
of Calder’s work, most notably present in what
Duchamp labelled his ‘mobiles’. These are perhaps
Calder’s most famous works – kinetic abstract
sculptures the articulated arms of which delicately
pivot on fulcrums while pendulum-like appendages
dexterously dangle brass balls and wire loops.
Motion is the essence of these sculptures, whether
it is provided by electric motor, hand crank or a
simple breeze. They exist open-endedly, their
multitudinous limbs moving in the air like a flock
of swallows branching out and coalescing, but
never repeating the same pattern.
Jean-Paul Sartre once wrote of Calder’s
mobiles that, ‘they feed on air, they breathe, they
borrow life from the vague life of the atmosphere.’
These words are equally true of his ‘stabiles’, or
static sculptural works – despite their sometimes
19
enormous bulk – some are more than 60ft tall and
weigh nearly 35 tons – they, too, carry with them
a sense of airiness, as if Calder were trying to break
the sculpture free from the ground itself. Like the
high-wire antics of his circus folk, these works often
seem less joined to the ground than the result of
the air itself solidifying into shape. ‘What I would
have liked to have done,’ Calder once wrote wistfully,
‘would have been to suspend a sphere without
any means of support, but I couldn’t do it.’
But there is more to the Calder experience
than movement. Rower is, by now, standing in front
of ‘Untitled’ (1934). It is a large black metal hoop in
the middle of which hangs a tree of thin wire arms,
each holding smaller coloured hoops. Rower moves
towards one of the dangling arms and sets it in
20
to expand the foundation’s horizons far beyond
being just an archive of his grandfather’s work.
Since 2005, the foundation has awarded a
biannual $50,000 Calder Prize to a living artist,
which includes a six-month residency at Atelier
Calder, the sculptor’s former studio in Saché,
France. ‘It’s a way of giving back,’ says Rower.
Even further afield is the creation of the
four-season, ‘beyond organic’ Calder Farm, on
Calder’s former estate in Connecticut. Indeed,
Rower has even mooted the idea of a Calder
Foundation retirement home being established
on the land one day. Like one of his grandfather’s
mobiles, he seems determined never to go in
the direction you quite expect of him.
www.calder.org
motion. The result is a chiming, clanging symphony
as the hoops clash against the work’s frame and
each other, providing a uniquely atonal gong
music, like a wind chime designed by Satie himself.
‘I bought this at Christie’s last year,’ says
Rower, ‘and I guarantee not one other person
I was bidding against realised it was a musical
instrument. It’s surprising. There are so many
works by Calder that include some sort of sound,
some sort of tone, some sort of thing to wake
you up, or bring you into the present. Your head’s
full of stuff and then this thing makes a noise and
suddenly,’ he snaps his fingers, ‘you’re present.’
The foundation holds more than 600 of
Calder’s sculptures, as well as thousands of examples
of his paintings, toys and jewellery, but Rower seeks
a new artistic movement Calder’s ‘Red and Yellow Vane’ sculpture, 1934, left.
‘Peacock’, from 1941, below. ‘Moluscs’ painting, 1955, bottom
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BESPOKE DESIGN | GIFTS & ACCESSORIES | FURNITURE & UPHOLSTERY | INTERIOR DESIGN
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Stellenbosch (Delaire Graff Estate), Beverly Hills (Peninsula Hotel)
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CRAFTING BEAUTY A young Batswana diamond polisher adds the finishing
touches to the polished stone that will bring out the maximum brilliance and
fire. The training process is rigorous and only a talented few, opposite, will
have the privilege of working on the world’s most fabulous diamonds
RISE AND SHINE
Botswana’s diamond technology park Brings home the skilful art
of polishing, while Benefitting the nation, discovers sarah carpin
photography Micky Hoyle
25
F or hundreds of years, the
most precious of diamonds
that were mined in Africa
were assessed, sold, cut and
polished by a multitude of
organisations around the
globe. A diamond sitting in
a store window in Mayfair or Manhattan may have
travelled thousands of air miles from Africa to
Europe to Asia and on to the Middle East, before
arriving in its final, glitteringly perfect condition.
But all this is now changing. The African
landlocked country of Botswana is the world’s
largest producer of diamonds and is now being
developed into a nation that will experience huge
benefits from being the home to nature’s most
spectacular and precious stones. By the end of
next year, the international system of sorting and
selling Africa’s rough diamonds by De Beers’
trading arm, the DTC, will all be moved here after
a hundred years of being based in London. And
the process of building up a globally important
diamond industry within Botswana has already
started, spearheaded by Graff.
The first stage of this shift back to Africa
is to be found in an area that, only a few years
ago, was scrubland on the edges of the capital,
Gaborone. The Diamond Technology Park is a
modern state of the art complex that is home to
Graff’s diamond polishing and procurement division,
Safdico (South African Diamond Corporation).
Safdico has been instrumental in the
development of this African diamond hub. Its
managing director, Ilan Kaplan, tells me that the
company saw the potential for Botswana around
seven years ago, and had the vision to bring the
very specialised skills of diamond cutting and
polishing to Africa. ‘There were no guarantees at
that time,’ Kaplan recalls. ‘And we didn’t just want
to set up a factory for our own benefit. We had a
bigger vision than that.’ Graff bought the land and
soon developed the new Diamond Technology
Park that is home not only to Graff’s polishing and
procurement division but also other diamond-
related businesses. ‘It’s a wonderful success story,’
he says, with justifiable pride in his voice.
But this is no ordinary sleek looking,
high-tech business park. Alongside the ultra-
modern diamond cutting and polishing centre,
housing some of the most sophisticated technology
on the planet, zebras quietly graze – the unusual
decision to add an enclosure for them a reminder
of its proud African identity, for the zebra is
Botswana’s national animal as well as being a
symbol of individuality. And it is this realisation of
the unique individuality of every diamond that
passes through Graff’s workshops here that makes
this particular African park unique.
Each individual glittering diamond in a finished
Graff masterpiece is the result of a fascinating
partnership between the mysteries of the earth’s
natural forces, man’s dedication to the highest
forms of craftsmanship and the adaptation of
science towards the dedication of perfection.
And all of these forces are now being brought
together in Botswana.
The creation of the perfect diamond is
a delicate balance between science and art.
‘We have invested in the most technologically
advanced processes that are currently available
in our pursuit of perfection,’ reveals Kaplan. ‘But
alongside all of this science, there is no substitute
for the skills of a highly trained diamond polisher.
And that is a God-given talent. Just as some
people make great artists or musicians, so others
are born with the talent to make diamonds shine.’
Within the Diamond Technology Park, a
team of young Motswana artisans is polishing
CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE A group of Botswana rough diamonds waiting to be
laser sawn, left. At the time of purchase a digital gauge, above, measures the
potential size of the polished diamond. The Diamond Technology Park
entrance, top right. Zebras Dee and Gem in their enclosure, bottom right
‘What is important to us is that every piece of
rough that passes through our hands gets our full
attention so that it can achieve its maximum
potential. So whether it is a 2ct stone or a 20ct
stone, it will get our undivided attention, as if it is
the only diamond in production.’ The dedication
to achieving this level of perfection is clear in the
painstaking care and hours of detailed work that
go into ensuring that all the stones that pass
through the park are individually transformed
to bring out their true, individual splendour.
Any piece of rough can be cut in a myriad
ways. A large stone may be cut down into several
smaller stones or may be kept as a single diamond,
depending on the quality of its colour, its clarity
and the size and shape of diamonds that
customers around the world are particularly
looking for. The first step in the process is for
every diamond to be scanned. The scans look into
the rough stones and map a 3D image on a
computer. Software can then take these images
and assess the best way to cut each stone. ‘We
invested in this technology four years ago when it
was first available and we have since adapted and
developed it for our own needs,’ Kaplan says.
there is no substitute for the skills of a highly trained diamond polisher, that is a god-given talent
diamonds of spectacular value and rarity. ‘Four
and a half years ago, we built these headquarters
out of nowhere and had the task of training young
people to be expert diamond polishers. We had to
begin by explaining diamonds – they’d never seen
or touched one,’ remarks. Kaplan. ‘We’ve come a
long way in a very short time, and we’ve been
fortunate to discover some very talented people.’
The first step towards creating the perfect
diamond is in the hands of the rough diamond
experts, who first assess the stones as they arrive.
In the rough, diamonds look rather disappointing
to the untrained eye, but to an expert these
humble looking opaque stones contain a miracle
waiting to happen. ‘When we purchase rough
stones, we already have a good idea of the
potential that can be unleashed in each and every
diamond,’ Kaplan explains. ‘This is enhanced when
we use all the technology at our disposal.’
27
the new green laser saw has been found to be the
safest way to cleave a rough stone with the
minimum of risk to the stone – along with the
possibility of fainting.
Once the diamond has been safely cut, it
is then polished by more sophisticated machinery.
The polishing machines can polish much faster
than a traditional craftsman, but they can’t finish
the diamond to the strict parameters of perfection
that a Graff diamond requires.
And this is where the God-given talents of
Botswana’s young diamond polishers come back
into the picture. Their meticulous work ensures
that each and every diamond is precisely
symmetrical and perfectly refracts the light that
enters it to achieve the ultimate scintillation, fire
and sparkle. It is only then that the true beauty of
the diamond is revealed.
Each polished stone is then meticulously
checked under laboratory conditions with twenty
times magnification. And it is only when a
diamond has been stamped with the final
approval from Graff that the diamond will then
leave its African homeland, flying out to the
master craftsmen in Graff’s jewellery workshop in
London. Hundreds more hours of work and
dedication will then transform these African
stones into the most sublimely beautiful and
sought after Graff masterpieces.
Graff has 120 expert cutters and polishers in
Botswana and while the computer can map out
each stone and offer the best ways to cut and
polish, it cannot do the actual work. As Kaplan
says, ‘That is when the challenge begins, to
achieve perfection.’ Graff diamonds are renowned
for their superiority and the excellence of the
craftsmanship that has gone into making the
finished diamond. This does not happen by
coincidence, but is the result of a scrupulously
long process of working each diamond to ensure
it reveals its individual miracle of transformation.
Sometimes, the experts at Graff have to
make difficult decisions in the quest for perfection.
While some might opt to cut the biggest diamond
possible from a single piece of rough, for Graff, it
is more important to have a single stone that may
be considerably smaller than when it first came
out of the ground, but will end up being graded as
a perfect diamond. This means gaining a Triple X
international GIA certificate, meaning it has been
independently graded as excellent in its cut, polish
and symmetry.
After a computer has assessed a rough
stone, it gives the polishers a range of options to
choose from, including a variety of diamond cuts,
from round stones to square, marquise, heart or
pear shapes. The computer maps the diamond
and the way in which it refracts the light to assess
what would be the perfect cut and to make the
most of the diamond’s natural characteristics. The
software’s calculations and the cutter’s expert
eyes both play a part in making the final decision.
Once the cut has been decided upon, the
stone is then marked by a laser, which shows the
exact lines and angles by which the stone should
be cut. It is then sent to another high tech gadget:
the green laser saw.
Traditionally, at this stage, the large rough
stone would be ‘cleaved’ by cutting it with another
diamond. It is one of the hardest substances on
earth but a diamond can also be very brittle.
When the stone is very large and valuable, the
cleaving is a most critical process, because a
mistake by the cleaver can shatter the stone and
render it worthless.
This is no task for the faint-hearted.
Indeed, there is a famous story that in 1908, the
renowned Dutch diamond cutter Joseph Asscher
fainted clean away after his first cleave of what
was then the world’s largest diamond, the Cullinan
stone. Asscher would, no doubt, have been
astounded to see how technology has changed
the way in which diamonds are now worked and
LINE drawINg Diamond scanning technology, above left, yields the best
combination of polished diamonds from each piece of rough, such as the
primary round stone and two secondary stones in this scan, above right
28
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INTERNATIONALDavid GordonEmail: [email protected] Tel: +44 (0)20 3124 6455
EUROPEAxel MeyerEmail: [email protected]: +49 22 117 917 2785
US FINE ARTRobert SalmonEmail: [email protected]: +1 301 581 4247
US JEWELLERY Donna RoyEmail: [email protected]: +1 212 730 5800
CHICAGO | COLOGNE | HAMBURG | LONDON | NEW JERSEY | NEWPORT BEACH CA | NEW YORK | WASHINGTON DC | ZURICH
the dream
in a lush, mesmerising world of the imagination, nature’s
bounty is revealed in jewellery that is the essence of fantasy
PhotograPhy Matthew Shave | styling Michelle Duguid
31
Pear shape diamond three-strand
earrings (Diamonds 27.85cts).
Multishape diamond necklace
(Diamonds 71.81cts).
19.23ct Pear shape D Internally
Flawless diamond ring with pear
shape diamond shoulders.
Round and marquise diamond
bracelet (Diamonds 33.26cts).
Dress by Maria Grachvogel
Multishape sapphire and
diamond Scroll Motif necklace
(Sapphires 156.60cts, Diamonds
101.96cts).
19.99ct Cushion cut sapphire
ring with trilliant cut diamond
shoulders.
Silver dress by Suzie Turner
17ct Marquise D Internally Flawless
diamond ring with trilliant cut
diamond shoulders.
Marquise and pear shape diamond
bracelet (Diamonds 81.02cts)
Multishape yellow and white
diamond Scroll Motif earrings
(Diamonds 26.87cts).
Multishape yellow and white
diamond Scroll Motif necklace
(Diamonds 131.12cts).
20.14ct Cushion cut Fancy Vivid
Yellow diamond ring with trilliant
cut diamond shoulders.
Dress by Amanda Wakeley.
Shoes by Osman for Rupert
Sanderson
35.03ct Emerald cut D Flawless
diamond ring with tapered
baguette diamond shoulders.
Emerald cut and round diamond
wave bracelet (Diamonds
83.64cts)
Round and marquise diamond
butterfly brooch (Diamonds
43.38cts).
Round, pear shape and marquise
diamond Scroll Motif medallion
necklace (Diamonds 68.88cts).
10.12ct Round D Flawless
diamond ring with pear shape
diamond shoulders.
Round and pear shape diamond
wave bracelet (Diamonds 88.65cts).
Dress by Issa.
Scarf by Duppoini
Round emerald and pear shape
diamond Bombé earrings
(Emeralds 21.41cts, Diamonds
10.90cts).
Round emerald and round and
pear shape diamond Bombé
necklace (Emeralds 13.83cts,
Diamonds 16.40cts).
Round emerald and diamond
Bombé ring (Emeralds 9.02cts,
Diamonds 4.55cts).
Jumpsuit by Carlos Miele
Multishape diamond chandelier
earrings (Diamonds 38.40cts).
Multishape diamond necklace
(Diamonds 108.09cts).
19.23ct Pear shape D Internally
Flawless diamond ring with pear
shape diamond shoulders. Pear
shape and round diamond bracelet
(Diamonds 38.10cts).
Dress by Luisa Beccaria
Pear shape ruby and round and
pear shape diamond earrings
(Rubies 35.18cts, Diamonds 6.12cts).
Pear shape and heart shape ruby
and pear shape and round diamond
necklace (Rubies 108.10cts,
Diamonds 69.40cts).
10.12ct Round D Flawless diamond
ring with pear shape diamond
shoulders.
Oval ruby and diamond line
bracelet (Rubies 37.68cts,
Diamonds 13.14cts).
Dress by Luisa Beccaria
Photographer’s assistants
Jo O’Hanlon, Chantelle King
Stylist’s assistant Grace Joel
Hair Peter Beckett
Make-up Kirstin Piggott
Make-up assistant Molly Aitken
Nails Lucie Pickavance
Model Sandrah Hellberg at
Next Models
Retouching Mark Arnold
Wildlife Amazing Animals
Pear shape diamond three-strand
earrings (Diamonds 27.85cts).
Multishape diamond necklace
(Diamonds 71.81cts).
19.23ct Pear shape D Internally
Flawless diamond ring with pear
shape diamond shoulders.
Round and marquise diamond
bracelet (Diamonds 33.26cts).
Dress by Maria Grachvogel
Multishape sapphire and
diamond Scroll Motif necklace
(Sapphires 156.60cts, Diamonds
101.96cts).
19.99ct Cushion cut sapphire
ring with trilliant cut diamond
shoulders.
Silver dress by Suzie Turner
17ct Marquise D Internally Flawless
diamond ring with trilliant cut
diamond shoulders.
Marquise and pear shape diamond
bracelet (Diamonds 81.02cts)
Multishape yellow and white
diamond Scroll Motif earrings
(Diamonds 26.87cts).
Multishape yellow and white
diamond Scroll Motif necklace
(Diamonds 131.12cts).
20.14ct Cushion cut Fancy Vivid
Yellow diamond ring with trilliant
cut diamond shoulders.
Dress by Amanda Wakeley.
Shoes by Osman for Rupert
Sanderson
35.03ct Emerald cut D Flawless
diamond ring with tapered
baguette diamond shoulders.
Emerald cut and round diamond
wave bracelet (Diamonds
83.64cts)
Round and marquise diamond
butterfly brooch (Diamonds
43.38cts).
Round, pear shape and marquise
diamond Scroll Motif medallion
necklace (Diamonds 68.88cts).
10.12ct Round D Flawless
diamond ring with pear shape
diamond shoulders.
Round and pear shape diamond
wave bracelet (Diamonds 88.65cts).
Dress by Issa.
Scarf by Duppoini
Round emerald and pear shape
diamond Bombé earrings
(Emeralds 21.41cts, Diamonds
10.90cts).
Round emerald and round and
pear shape diamond Bombé
necklace (Emeralds 13.83cts,
Diamonds 16.40cts).
Round emerald and diamond
Bombé ring (Emeralds 9.02cts,
Diamonds 4.55cts).
Jumpsuit by Carlos Miele
Multishape diamond chandelier
earrings (Diamonds 38.40cts).
Multishape diamond necklace
(Diamonds 108.09cts).
19.23ct Pear shape D Internally
Flawless diamond ring with pear
shape diamond shoulders. Pear
shape and round diamond bracelet
(Diamonds 38.10cts).
Dress by Luisa Beccaria
Pear shape ruby and round and
pear shape diamond earrings
(Rubies 35.18cts, Diamonds 6.12cts).
Pear shape and heart shape ruby
and pear shape and round diamond
necklace (Rubies 108.10cts,
Diamonds 69.40cts).
10.12ct Round D Flawless diamond
ring with pear shape diamond
shoulders.
Oval ruby and diamond line
bracelet (Rubies 37.68cts,
Diamonds 13.14cts).
Dress by Luisa Beccaria
Photographer’s assistants
Jo O’Hanlon, Chantelle King
Stylist’s assistant Grace Joel
Hair Peter Beckett
Make-up Kirstin Piggott
Make-up assistant Molly Aitken
Nails Lucie Pickavance
Model Sandrah Hellberg at
Next Models
Retouching Mark Arnold
Wildlife Amazing Animals
GRAPE of Good hoPE Harvest time – between
February and April – on the Delaire Graff Estate is a
time of expectation and excitement. Winemaker Morné
Vrey calls it ‘the best time of year’
GOLDEN HARVEST
AS thiS yeAr’S grApeS Are picked on the
delAire grAff eStAte, christian eedes
meetS the winemAker looking forwArd
to creAting more AwArd-winning wineS
A visit to Stellenbosch estate
Delaire in the middle of
February 2012 finds
winemaker Morné Vrey
prowling the cellar like the
proverbial caged tiger. So
far this year, he’s received
just under 30 tons of grapes out of an expected
total of 280. Harvest in South Africa typically runs
from the beginning of February until as late as
mid-April (as opposed to late August to early
October in the northern hemisphere) and Vrey is
itching for things to get into full swing.
Delaire sits atop a pass called Helshoogte
with views stretching back to Table Mountain.
It was acquired by Laurence Graff in 2003 and
under his custodianship is fast becoming one of
South Africa’s premier cellars. Vrey, now 33 years
old, has been at Delaire since late 2007 and brings
work experience in France, Germany and New
Zealand to his role.
‘Harvest is the best time of the year,’ Vrey
says, despite the challenges he faces. One of the
biggest is logistics. There are now some 20 hectares
of vineyard on Delaire itself but Vrey also utilises
grapes from selected sites scattered around the
Cape Winelands, a further 30ha in total. Deciding
on which blocks of vineyard to pick when sees him
and viticulturist Kallie Fernhout doing a lot of mileage
in the short space of time that is harvest.
Unlike France’s Appellation d’Origine
Contrôlée system for administering the origin of
45
photogrAphy Micky Hoyle
‘Despite all the late hours, harvest is an enormous amount of fun. we’re a well-oileD operation
DEVOTION TO DETAILWhether destined for white or red wine, the grapes are handled with supreme care, above. When the delivery trucks arrive at the cellar, 20 tons of grapes are offloaded in 30 minutes, before being bunch-sorted, opposite, to remove sub-standard fruit
its wines, South African vine-growing regulations
are not unduly restrictive – it’s the producer rather
than any official body that gets to determine
which variety is most appropriate
to a particular location. In addition, while South
Africa does indeed have a well-established Wine
of Origin scheme, production areas range from
the small and tightly defined to the large and
somewhat meaningless – the largest of these
allowing for multi-regional blends, parcels of
grapes from divergent sites being used to make
a composite wine.
Delaire, however, is using the South
Africa’s wine laws to best advantage. ‘If you plant
20 different varieties on a 50ha property, very few
will be outstanding,’ says Vrey. ‘What sets us apart
is our focus on the vineyards. Our Stellenbosch
site is suited to some but not all varieties. Where
we can get better quality from elsewhere, I won’t
hesitate to buy in that fruit.’ The Delaire range is
relatively wide and Vrey is adamant that
everything should be of similar high quality.
Vrey operates out of a 300-ton capacity
cellar designed by top local architect Gerard de
Villiers and completed in 2008. A typical day
during harvest begins at 5am and might finish at
1am the following morning, with him catching a
few hours of sleep on the sofa in his office.
At a state-of-the-art cellar like Delaire,
winemaking cannot be considered a particularly
romantic process. Intellectually taxing, for sure,
but not romantic. It begins with grapes being
received at the cellar (Vrey says that his team’s
current record for unloading 20 tons of grapes off
the delivery truck is 30 minutes and all involved
are keen to improve on that time) before these are
processed in order to remove the juice from the
skins. White wine juice will go in settling tanks
to clarify before fermentation begins; red wine
juice will be left on the skins before and after
fermentation to facilitate the extraction of colour,
flavour and tannic structure.
According to Vrey, winemaking is all about
‘playing the right cards at the right time’ to end up
with something great and he employs all sorts of
techniques along the way aimed at raising quality
a notch or two higher.
For one thing, grapes are subject to bunch-
sorting upon arrival to remove sub-standard fruit.
For another, he is able to deploy all of four different
types of press depending on the ultimate style of
wine he is making – he’s particularly excited about
a new nitrogen press for Sauvignon Blanc and
Sauvignon Rosé, which allows juice extraction
under a controlled atmosphere of inert nitrogen,
preventing exposure to air and possible oxidation,
which would strip aroma and flavour. When it
comes to Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Sémillon,
meanwhile, he eschews the usual crushing and
destemming for whole bunch pressing which
results in juice low in harsh-tasting phenolics
and high in quality.
In the case of red varieties, Vrey notes
a tendency in much of South African
winemaking to ‘over-work’ the grapes in the
cellar and he is at pains to avoid this, applying
a whole berry fermentation and basket press
in order to retain fruit integrity and freshness.
During red wine fermentation, a layer of
grape solids floats on the liquid surface and this cap
must be broken up to encourage extraction but,
as far as Vrey is concerned, the more gently this
can be done, the better for the wine in the long
run. Hence, rather than with mechanical pump-
overs, this is achieved with manual punch-downs.
47
BARRELS Of fun The state-of-the-art cellar at Delaire Graff Estate, designed
by architect Gerard de Villiers, has the capacity for 300 tons of wine, above.
A worker prevents picked grapes from drying out, top left. Winemaker
Morné Vrey stands proudly amid his hi-tech equipment, top
48 entirely joyless toil, however: ‘Despite all the late
hours, harvest is an enormous amount of fun,’ Vrey
says. ‘This is my fifth vintage and we’re a pretty
well oiled operation. It’s not all hard work – we
braai [barbecue] a lot.’
The Delaire portfolio is diverse – Vrey has
an irrepressible enthusiasm and wants to try his
hand at everything in winemaking. The overall
quality is extraordinarily high but it is perhaps
Delaire’s two examples of Sauvignon Blanc which
have caused the biggest stir to date: the standard
label 2009 placed among the winners in South
Africa’s Sauvignon Blanc Top 10 competition of
the same year; the Coastal Cuvée 2010 won best
in class at the 2011 Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show
(arguably the most prestigious wine competition
locally); while the 2011 again came up trumps in
the 2011 Top 10 competition.
Sauvignon Blanc is at the foundation of
the Delaire range, making up around 40 per cent
of all the grapes to be processed during harvest.
Vrey sources from a wide array of appellations to
ensure the most complex end-wine possible. The
standard label is typically styled to be lighter and
more towards the herbaceous end of the flavour
spectrum, while the Coastal Cuvée is intended
to be richer and fuller.
At the top of the range, meanwhile,
are two Reserve wines, consisting of a white
blend and a Cabernet Sauvignon. The vintage
of the white blend available at the time of
writing is the 2009, comprising 60 per cent
Sémillon and 40 per cent Sauvignon Blanc,
fermented and matured in French oak, 80
per cent new, for five months and then returned
to tank for 12 months. It’s an immensely
promising wine with layers of flavour, great
palate weight and a very persistent finish.
The current release of the Delaire Cabernet
Sauvignon Reserve is the 2008, a wine that
secured a maximum five-star rating in the 2011
edition of the highly respected Platter’s South
African Wine Guide.
What makes it so special? First, Stellenbosch,
the district that is home to Delaire, is famed for its
high-quality Cabernet Sauvignon and the Delaire
version is made exclusively from grapes grown
on the property. Second, Vrey’s approach in the
cellar, as described, is a key factor. The wine shows
perfectly delineated dark fruit and the very finest
tannins. It’s relatively light and fresh and a welcome
departure from many a modern-day Cab which
can be excessively rich and powerful.
Our tasting finished, Vrey returns to
planning for harvest 2012. He’s checked equipment
numerous times already, but he can’t help checking
again. Soon the grapes will be arriving and then he
won’t have a spare moment.
‘It’s tough on those of us in the cellar but the end
result can’t be beat,’ Vrey explains.
Fermentation, of course, is the conversion
of grape sugar by yeast into alcohol and carbon
dioxide, wine yeasts capable of producing
alcohol by volume of 15 per cent and over but
Vrey’s whites typically sit at about 13 per cent
and his reds at 14 per cent. Depending on variety,
some wines will be matured in oak barrels after
fermentation to add complexity. Barrels are a
significant annual investment – Vrey buys 150
new every year and there will be 450 in use at
any one time.
Once fermentation is complete, the wine
undergoes an optional time of contact with the
lees (the dregs, consisting of spent yeast cells
and fragments of grape matter), which can
impart complexity. Then it will be stabilised and
fined, processes that aim to ensure the wine will
not form hazes, clouds or unwanted deposits
once it is bottled.
Every vintage is different: mid-February in
2012, the summer has been milder than usual and
Vrey hopes this will continue facilitating a more
drawn-out harvest and, in turn, better flavour
development in the grapes. A sudden heatwave,
however, and what was looking a very promising
year might end up no more than average.
In the cellar, there’s always the possibility
of minor snags such as burst pipes or mechanical
equipment which breaks down. Winemaking isn’t
+44 (0)20 7590 2340 | [email protected] | www.onehydepark.com
By private appointment only
Where can you find a 1,026 sq ft one bedroom
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FRUITS OF THE EARTH
be tempted by a veritable garden of delight, abundant in desirable
rare diamonds that are perfectly ripe for the picking
photography Graeme Montgomery | styling Annette Masterman
51
Radiant cut yellow and round
white diamond bracelet
(Diamonds 125.42cts)
22.52ct Oval D Flawless
diamond ring with heart shape
diamond shoulders.
22.03ct Heart shape D Flawless
diamond ring with tapered
baguette diamond shoulders.
35.03ct Emerald cut D Flawless
diamond ring with tapered
baguette diamond shoulders
Multishape chandelier Scroll
Motif diamond earrings
(Diamonds 23.06cts)
Round, marquise and oval
diamond dragonfly brooch
(Diamonds 40.46cts)
Multishape diamond strand
earrings with 40ct pear shape
D Flawless diamond drops
(Diamonds 88.06cts)
Round and pear shape
diamond feather motif necklace
(Diamonds 25.62cts).
Round, pear shape and
marquise diamond feather motif
earrings (Diamonds 9.25cts)
Photographer’s assistants
Richard Keech and Grant Smith
Stylist’s assistant
Alexander Heathcote
Retouching Matthew Arnold
Fruit courtesy of Harrods Food Hall;
harrods.com
THE WILD ONE
HE MAY DRESS LIKE A REBEL BUT WHEN IT COMES TO RETAIL DESIGN,
PETER MARINO, THE ARCHITECT BEHIND SOME OF GRAFF’S MOST HIGH-PROFILE
STORES, IS, ACCORDING TO nick compton, THE LEADER OF THE PACK
Ask anyone who knows
anything about store design
and contemporary retail
architecture and they will tell
you that New York-based
architect Peter Marino is the
perfect man for the job.
Marino doesn’t talk like an architect. Not for him
the academese of volumes and voids that can
make architects a difficult bunch to engage with.
He doesn’t look much like an architect, either.
Architects wear black polo necks and serious
black-rimmed spectacles. They are design-minded
duotone intellectuals and tend to drive sober but
well-engineered European cars such as Audis or
Saabs. Not Peter Marino.
Marino rides a Harley. Or perhaps a Ducati
or Triumph, depending on his mood. Or which of
his homes he’s at. And he wears leathers to match.
Not those Italian racing leathers with their internal
architecture; Marino wears leathers like the young
Marlon Brando wears in The Wild One. He is the
only ‘starchitect’ – as the A-list are known – who
actually looks like a star.
Peter Marino looks nothing like an
architect. And in conversation he comes off like
one of those English rock stars of a certain age
– he is now 61 and uses a sort-of English accent,
even though he was born in Manhattan and raised
in Queens – whose rich experience has left them
wise, warm, funny and utterly engaging as well
as prone to using words like ‘dude’ and ‘chick’.
Of course, if Marino’s name has ever blipped on
your radar, you know a good deal of this. Marino
has developed a character, a persona that works
like a brand. And it’s hard to know whether his
leather daywear, which replaced more conventional
architect gear a decade ago, is a deliberate
branding exercise. But it can obscure the real story:
that he is one of the most feted and in-demand
architects in the world.
He designs and builds stores like no one
else. No one has a better sense of the strange mix
of high drama and domesticity, art and commerce,
that makes for grand retail theatre. He has worked
with Graff, Chanel, Christian Dior and Louis Vuitton,
among others, and you can see his stores on New
Bond Street, Place Vendôme, Madison Avenue,
Rodeo Drive, Ginza and in the best parts of Beijing
and Shanghai. (He also has a sideline in designing
private residences, from Aspen to St Moritz.)
When Graff decided that the time was
right for a new retail push, Marino was called in.
There was history. Marino was behind the design
of the Madison Avenue store, which opened in
2008, and the San Francisco store, which opened
late last year, part of a new surge eastwards, with
openings planned in Hangzhou, Hong Kong,
Macau and Shanghai.
Marino studied architecture at Cornell
and then joined Skidmore Owings & Merrill, the
most solidly and stolidly blue chip of American do
ug
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ss
fr
ied
ma
n/t
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ar
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ive
58
private view Peter Marino, in signature leathers, proudly displays a few
personal favourites from his collection of Renaissance and Baroque bronze
sculptures, a particular passion of the architect for the past two decades
retail PalaCeS Walnut lines Marino’s New York store for Graff. Brass cases in
Graff’s Hong Kong store by Marino, top right. Marino’s ceiling for Louis Vuitton,
London, bottom right. Marino’s interior at Zegna, Paris, far right
retail PalaCeS Walnut lines Marino’s New York store for Graff. Brass cases in
Graff’s Hong Kong store by Marino, top right. Marino’s ceiling for Louis Vuitton,
London, bottom right. Marino’s interior at Zegna, Paris, far right
architecture firms. He moved on to work with
George Nelson and I M Pei before going his own
way in 1978. And he immediately got a lucky
break. A girlfriend at the time was a secretary
for Andy Warhol, who asked him to design his
apartment. Warhol became a friend and
introduced him to the Studio 54 set of New York
socialites and in-town notables. Marino became
their designer of choice. His second job was
an apartment for Yves Saint Laurent, his next
a pied-á-terre for legendary Fiat chief Gianni
Agnelli and his wife.
Marino’s next move, work on the Barneys
store in New York, pulled him into the circle of
another set of clients: the leading European and
American fashion designers, and the chiefs of
luxury goods groups who pay their wages. Marino
understood what these brands wanted; more than
that, he understood what these brands needed,
in retail terms at least, before they did.
His skill is in pulling at a particular strand
of a brand’s DNA and coding that into a space or
a building. For Graff’s stores, a mix of brass,
limestone and walnut creates the perfect setting
for their very serious stones. He painted the Dior
store in 56 shades of grey, the colour of Dior. He
covered the Chanel Tower in the Ginza district of
Tokyo with thousands of computer-controlled
LEDs that recalled Chanel tweed.
But Marino’s architecture is about details
rather than grand statements. His experience in
interior design makes him unique among big
name contemporary architects. He starts with the
materials and works from there. ‘I’m not someone
who sits down with a blank piece of paper with a
grand vision. I sit down with materials, stacks of
samples, and mush them all up until something
feels right. I’m very much a materialist in that way.’
Getting the base materials right is just the
start of the design process. And Marino admits
that the Graff stores have their own challenges.
‘Well, with diamonds you have a lot of lighting
concerns and you have to be really careful with
the ambient colours – you need that very cold
light when you are looking at diamonds.’ These
details matter to Marino because his stores have
to somehow match high drama with domesticity.
The people who are going to do the consuming
at these stores have to feel literally at home.
marino’s skill is in pulling
at a particular strand of
a brand’s dna and coding it
into a space or a building
A serious and long-term art collector (and not just
fashionable contemporary and conceptual art. He
has a world class collection of Baroque and
Renaissance bronzes that was shown at The
Wallace Collection in London in 2010), Marino has
been credited with making quality contemporary
art an essential fixture of the luxury retail temple.
He often commissions young and established
artists to create art specifically for his stores.
Every new store is an effort to create a
new vision of the perfect home. ‘Every time we do
a store, we up the total package; the budget on
art, on carpets, on furniture, everything. We have
to make it look like the places their clients actually
live in, but more beautiful. To make it relaxed and
comfortable and appropriate. That isn’t so easy.’
Marino is scathing about what he sees as a tendency
in contemporary architecture to pay little attention
to where buildings will actually live, their context.
Not that he’s down on all contemporary architects.
He is a big fan of Herzog & de Meuron, the team
behind the Tate Modern conversion. And he is the
first to admit that he has a complex relationship
with a contemporary star system that recognises
those who produce grandstanding public buildings
such as Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim in Bilbao, but
ignore those who are involved with commerce.
In some ways, Marino’s leathers represent
an irreverent gesture towards this star system. But
while his outfits recognise his outsider status, the
quality, success and scale of his work insists that
Marino is an architect like no other.
61
architecture firms. He moved on to work with
George Nelson and I M Pei before going his own
way in 1978. And he immediately got a lucky
break. A girlfriend at the time was a secretary
for Andy Warhol, who asked him to design his
apartment. Warhol became a friend and
introduced him to the Studio 54 set of New York
socialites and in-town notables. Marino became
their designer of choice. His second job was
an apartment for Yves Saint Laurent, his next
a pied-á-terre for legendary Fiat chief Gianni
Agnelli and his wife.
Marino’s next move, work on the Barneys
store in New York, pulled him into the circle of
another set of clients: the leading European and
American fashion designers, and the chiefs of
luxury goods groups who pay their wages. Marino
understood what these brands wanted; more than
that, he understood what these brands needed,
in retail terms at least, before they did.
His skill is in pulling at a particular strand
of a brand’s DNA and coding that into a space or
a building. For Graff’s stores, a mix of brass,
limestone and walnut creates the perfect setting
for their very serious stones. He painted the Dior
store in 56 shades of grey, the colour of Dior. He
covered the Chanel Tower in the Ginza district of
Tokyo with thousands of computer-controlled
LEDs that recalled Chanel tweed.
But Marino’s architecture is about details
rather than grand statements. His experience in
interior design makes him unique among big
name contemporary architects. He starts with the
materials and works from there. ‘I’m not someone
who sits down with a blank piece of paper with a
grand vision. I sit down with materials, stacks of
samples, and mush them all up until something
feels right. I’m very much a materialist in that way.’
Getting the base materials right is just the
start of the design process. And Marino admits
that the Graff stores have their own challenges.
‘Well, with diamonds you have a lot of lighting
concerns and you have to be really careful with
the ambient colours – you need that very cold
light when you are looking at diamonds.’ These
details matter to Marino because his stores have
to somehow match high drama with domesticity.
The people who are going to do the consuming
at these stores have to feel literally at home.
marino’s skill is in pulling
at a particular strand of
a brand’s dna and coding it
into a space or a building
A serious and long-term art collector (and not just
fashionable contemporary and conceptual art. He
has a world class collection of Baroque and
Renaissance bronzes that was shown at The
Wallace Collection in London in 2010), Marino has
been credited with making quality contemporary
art an essential fixture of the luxury retail temple.
He often commissions young and established
artists to create art specifically for his stores.
Every new store is an effort to create a
new vision of the perfect home. ‘Every time we do
a store, we up the total package; the budget on
art, on carpets, on furniture, everything. We have
to make it look like the places their clients actually
live in, but more beautiful. To make it relaxed and
comfortable and appropriate. That isn’t so easy.’
Marino is scathing about what he sees as a tendency
in contemporary architecture to pay little attention
to where buildings will actually live, their context.
Not that he’s down on all contemporary architects.
He is a big fan of Herzog & de Meuron, the team
behind the Tate Modern conversion. And he is the
first to admit that he has a complex relationship
with a contemporary star system that recognises
those who produce grandstanding public buildings
such as Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim in Bilbao, but
ignore those who are involved with commerce.
In some ways, Marino’s leathers represent
an irreverent gesture towards this star system. But
while his outfits recognise his outsider status, the
quality, success and scale of his work insists that
Marino is an architect like no other.
61
PRIME TIMEThe laTesT waTches creaTed by graff’s crafTsmen
are aT The pinnacle of boTh Technical experTise
and aesTheTic excellence, simon de burton finds
phoTography Andy Barter | sTyling Sam Logan
masTergraff diamond minuTe repeaTer TourbillonMany watch connoisseurs will tell you the ultimate horological
complication is the tourbillon, that micro-mechanical marvel in
which the escapement is contained within a tiny, revolving cage in
order to counteract the effects of gravity; others will choose the
minute repeater, that equally admirable creation which enables a
watch to sound the hours, quarter hours and minutes on a pair of
perfectly tuned gongs. For those who can’t decide between the two,
Graff has combined them in the MasterGraff Diamond Minute
Repeater Tourbillon which features a mechanical, self-winding
movement and a case and dial set with 334 diamonds weighing
30.6cts. Just 10 examples in both rose and white gold will be made.
‘MasterGraff Diamond Minute Repeater Tourbillon’ (Diamonds 30.60cts);
Princess cut sapphire cufflinks (Sapphires 7.49cts), all by Graff.
Cotton suit and cotton double-cuff shirt, both by Gieves and Hawkes
graff buTTerflyGraff’s master craftsmen could never be accused of lacking in
creativity, but it is fair to say that they have excelled themselves in
the design of the new Butterfly watch inspired by Graff’s celebrated
butterfly motif jewellery collection. The watch features a small,
16mm dial encircled by a ring of butterflies, each formed from four,
pear shaped diamonds. Further stones discreetly connect the
butterflies while still more decorate the case of the watch, which
carries 232 diamonds in all. In addition, the butterflies appear
to float above a contrasting base of 78 sapphires, creating an
enchanting, three-dimensional effect.
‘Graff Butterfly’ (Diamonds 7.39cts, Sapphires 2.93cts); Round,
pear shape and marquise diamond butterfly earrings (Diamonds
6.29cts), all by Graff
62
Photographer’s assistant Angela Dennis
Stylist’s assistants Nathalie Francis, Ianthe Wright
Nails Lucie Pickavance
Models Nina Taylor and Steve Gee at Hired Hands
Retouching Stuart Calder
GyroGraffThe words ‘radical’ and ‘ingenious’ spring to mind on first sight of the
new GyroGraff, a manual-winding, double-axis tourbillon wristwatch
which incorporates a three-dimensional moon phase indicator in the
form of a gyrograph which tracks the waxing and waning of the
moon throughout the month. Hand-made in rose gold and engraved
to replicate lunar craters, this clever moon-phase forms part of a
multi-level dial featuring an intricate guilloche pattern and enhanced
by an indicator at 11 o’clock for monitoring the 60-hour power
reserve. Waterproof to 3ATM, just 20 examples of this remarkable
wristwatch will be available – 10 in rose gold, 10 in white gold.
‘GyroGraff’; white gold love knot cufflinks, all by Graff.
Backgammon set by Ralph Lauren Home. Cotton shirt by Dunhill
LadyGraff (previous paGe)
There was a time when it was deemed somewhat unseemly for a
lady to need to know the time – a fact that led to the popularity of
cocktail watches that appeared to be dazzling jewels rather than
timepieces. Graff brings the cocktail watch up to date in this exquisite
creation, incorporating 170 diamonds weighing a total of 43 carats.
The intricate and cleverly articulated bracelet is made from no fewer
than 109 dazzling brilliants in a remarkably time-consuming process
which necessitates that there will just 20 examples of the LadyGraff.
‘LadyGraff’ (Diamonds 43cts); Round diamond stud earrings
(Diamonds 16.36cts); 11.05ct Emerald cut Vivid Yellow diamond ring
with tapered baguette diamond shoulders, all by Graff. ‘Celeste’
crystal martini glass by Ralph Lauren Home
Graffstar MicropavÉHere, Graff has taken its elegant 38mm ladies’ watch and enhanced
it with a micropavé setting which sees the case and dial almost entirely
covered in diamonds. Although the distinctive Graff case shape
remains, the GraffStar Micropavé is distinguished from the ‘regular’
38mm model by hour markers comprised of individual, round emeralds
which contrast beautifully with the white crocodile strap and
diamond-set dial, behind which is a Swiss-made quartz movement.
‘GraffStar 38mm Micropavé’ (Diamonds 5.70cts); Emerald
cut diamond eternity ring (Diamonds 7.85cts); 3.70ct Pear shape
Fancy Vivid Blue diamond ring with pear shape diamond
shoulders, all by Graff.
Graffstar sLiM (previous paGe)
Looking equally at home beneath the cuff of a business suit or a
tuxedo, the new GraffStar Slim features a delectably thin case which
measures just 6.35mm from top to bottom. Crafted in either white
or rose gold, the 43mm diameter case contains Graff’s specially
designed Calibre 3 self-winding Swiss movement, behind a choice of
black or white dials highlighted by the signature Graff emerald at 12
o’clock. Simple dagger hands, gold markers and a premium-quality
alligator strap complete the sophisticated understatement.
‘GraffStar Slim’ in rose gold with brown alligator strap; rose gold love
knot cufflinks set with round rubies (Rubies 3.96cts); rose gold fountain
pen set with a black diamond (Diamonds 1.3cts), all by Graff.
Wool suit and cotton double-cuff shirt by Hackett. ‘Dovetail’
paperweight by David Linley. ‘Icon’ notebook by Lanvin at Harrods
Over the centuries, empire-
builders and invaders –
Babylonian, Portuguese,
Ottoman, British – have tried
and failed to rule the proud,
fiercely independent Khaleeji
(Gulf) tribes. The entire region
was once a hotbed of drama on the high seas
(according to legend, Sinbad was born in the Omani
city of Sohar), with Muscat in a key strategic
position as the gateway to the Strait of Hormuz.
The United Arab Emirates (or Trucial
States as the area was referred to until 1971 when
it ceased to be a British protectorate) also had a
reputation for derring-do. In the 21st century, the
‘Pirate Coast’ has replaced offshore skirmishes
with commercial risk-taking in the form of a
penchant for iconic superstructures, fast cars and
tranches of real estate in global gateway cities.
The UAE was originally seven independent
fiefdoms ruled by local tribal families. The emirate
of Dubai was the first to latch onto the potential
appeal of the area as a trade hub at the end of the
19th century, when it introduced a tax exemption
for foreign traders. But even that was no indication
of the warp-speed transformation a century later
from a collection of individual sheikhdoms into the
slick urban face of the Arabian Gulf.
While the UAE is leading the cosmopolitan
charge, a number of its neighbours, including Oman
DESERTROSE
From trading ports and homes to pearl Fishers, the Uae and
its neighboUrs qatar and oman enjoyed a meteoric rise, thanks to
oil wealth. now, while growth continUes apace, the gUlF states
have developed as cUltUral centres too, reports Claire MalColM
and Qatar, are following suit as they embark on their
own ambitious plans for economic diversification.
In essence, Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the
early 20th century were still sleepy coastal
settlements populated by pearl fishers, canny
local merchants and traders from India and Iran,
as well as farming folk working the date palms.
Even then, a taste for luxury was fuelling
economic development through the pearling
industry. This brutal way of life saw divers, rope
haulers and ship captains disappear to offshore
pearl banks for up to four months during the
harsh summer. From sunrise to sunset, divers in
Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah would
descend to seven metres – protected by just a
nose clip, leather finger covers and sometimes a
cotton shift – to fill a palm basket with oysters
before being hauled back to the surface and
repeating the process. It was a similar scene in
Qatar, whose early fortunes were also intrinsically
linked to the industry, and which saw it become a
regional hub for pearl extraction by the mid-1800s.
Gulf pearls were considered some of the
world’s finest, and prices peaked in 1917 before
being dealt a fatal blow in the Twenties due to the
combined fallout of the Wall Street Crash and the
invention of the artificial pearl by the Japanese,
which effectively killed off the Gulf’s precious trade.
The discovery of oil in Bahrain in the Thirties
was the catalyst for the region’s multi-phased
69
transition from dusty desert outpost to an eclectic
collection of high-profile destinations vying with
one another to attract multinational companies,
the tourist dollar and world-leading brands.
Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait were the
first Gulf nations to begin oil production, followed
by Qatar in the Forties, while the Trucial States
entered the game relatively late, in the mid-Sixties.
Oil revenues and a diversified economic
base focused on trading and tourism, have helped
fast-track the UAE’s development from Middle
Eastern backwater to a high-profile, much-hyped
international destination for HNWIs and expats
representing over 200 nationalities.
The gush of black gold into the local
economy prompted a tidal wave of development,
propelling the seven emirates into the 21st century
and, for many, a lifestyle they could never have
imagined, brought to life through the combined
vision of their respective rulers.
Oman had already waved the British
farewell in the late Sixties when it declared itself
an absolute monarchy, and Qatar became an
independent sovereign state in September 1971.
Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan
Al Nahyan, supported by Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed
Al Maktoum of Dubai – took the initiative to
strengthen the commercial power of the emirates
by forming a federation, which gave birth to the
top 10-goal international players such Adolfo
Cambioso can be spotted at winter tournaments,
including the Royal Salute UAE Nations Cup.
Out on the blue water of the Gulf, blue-chip
events such as the annual Dubai International Boat
Show, which celebrated its 20th edition in March,
reinforce the attraction of the country as a marine
hotspot, reporting continued multi-million dollar
sales for big ticket yachts in 2011, despite the
global situation, and a rebound in demand for
marina berthing spots around the Emirates.
Retail has been another mainstay of the
economy, ever since the UAE’s first shopping
destination, the Al Ghurair Centre, opened in 1982.
As well as luxury stores, such as Graff’s recent
opening in the opulent Burj Al Arab Hotel, there
are upscale department stores including
Bloomingdale’s, Galeries Lafayette, Saks Fifth
Avenue and Harvey Nichols. The sprawling Dubai
Mall – the world’s largest shopping, leisure and
entertainment destination and home to Graff’s
second store in Dubai – recently announced plans
to add a further million square feet of retail space,
and upmarket malls are under development on both
Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah and Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.
Over the last 17 years, the UAE’s social and
sporting calendar has grown to such an extent
that special government departments have been
created to manage the burgeoning list of
the construction frenzy quickly gained momentum in the nineties and the skylines of the uae’s major cities continue to evolve
United Arab Emirates on 2 December, 1971.
In less than 75 years a brace of metropolises
that even Fritz Lang would be agape at, has risen
from the sand and, of late, pursued a roster of
international cultural brands – from sporting
events through to legends of the art world – to
expand its appeal for future generations.
In contrast, Oman – and its capital Muscat
– has resisted the allure of warp-speed development
until recently, preferring to focus on its stunning
landscape and low-rise, low-key cityscape that
makes it a welcome and relaxed alternative to Abu
Dhabi and Dubai. But all that is about to change
as the Sultanate pushes ahead with massive
infrastructure development plans and unveils its
first mixed-use multi-million dollar community and
leisure development – The Wave.
A love of the high life, and all the trappings
of luxury has, nonetheless, been developing over
the years – in the UAE at least. In the mid-Eighties,
Ali Al Bawardi, owner of the Desert Palm Polo
Club, built the region’s first grass polo field. Today,
of other Guinness world records to its credit. The
tower houses ultra chic private residences, office
space and the world’s highest viewing platform, as
well as the coolly understated Armani Hotel Dubai.
And the rags-to-riches fairytale story of
the region hasn’t yet reached its final conclusion.
Government investment and the pursuit of a
long-term economic vision are laying out a new
blueprint for the Emirates. Abu Dhabi has partnered
with the big guns of the art world on its Saadiyat
Island Cultural District, which in 2015 will see the
first international outpost for France’s Louvre
museum, joined by the Guggenheim in 2017. Next
door, Doha’s IM Pei-designed Museum of Islamic
Art set a cultural benchmark in 2008, and Muscat’s
new Royal Opera House is a first for the region.
Down the road, Dubai is looking to capitalise
on the growing upscale cruise market with expansion
of its cruise terminal; and luxury is taking on a new
lease of life in the Northern Emirates with destination
properties such as Ras Al Khaimah’s ultra-chic
conservation reserve, Banyan Tree Al Wadi.
These Gulf states have to be admired for
their gutsy transformation into some of the world’s
most popular locations for work, play or simply
curiosity value.
Graff can be found at the Burj Al Arab Hotel,
the Dubai Mall and at seasonal exhibitions in Doha,
Riyadh and Jeddah
GULF TIMES Today’s skyscraper-lined main thoroughfare of Dubai, Sheikh
Zayed Road, previous page; and as it was 40 years ago, viewed from the
Trade Centre in 1982, opposite. The Burj Al Arab Hotel towers above older
buildings on the Dubai beachfront, top. The new Graff store, above, which opened
recently within the seven-star hotel, is one of two Graff stores in Dubai
activities. Both the Dubai Shopping Festival and
the Dubai World Cup – the world’s richest horse
race, with 60,000 elegantly turned-out spectators
and a prize purse on the day of US$35 million –
were launched in 1996; and is an annual highlight.
Vying for attention, however, is the Etihad Airways
Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix, which debuted in 2009.
Qatar is also eager to cement its own
position as a destination of sporting note. Not
content with with its 2022 FIFA World Cup coup,
Qatar is also reportedly pitching to host the
ceremonial first stage of the 2016 Tour de France.
Stadia are being developed in sync with
the government’s ambitious 15-year infrastructure
vision. Fly in to the capital, Doha, and you’ll see a
futuristic city blueprint already coming to life, from
the 35-square kilometre Lusail district – a mini city
in its own right – to fledgling plans for the US$2.7
billion Doha Metro and high-speed rail project.
The skylines of the UAE’s major cities also
continue to evolve. A phenomenon that began to
take off in the late Nineties with the opening of
the ‘seven-star’ Burj Al Arab Hotel on Dubai’s then
relatively undeveloped beachfront, the construction
frenzy quickly gained momentum. In 2005 Abu
Dhabi added miles of gold leaf and marble to the
hotel mix with the launch of the Emirates Palace.
Then came the world’s tallest building Burj Khalifa,
which officially opened in early 2010 with a handful
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71
LOTUS BLOSSOMthis delicate and stylish collection artfully
celebrates the beautiful flower that holds so
much significance in eastern culture
PhotograPhy Andy Barter | words Joanne Glasbey
From ancient times, the beautiful lotus flower has been a divine
symbol in the traditions of Asia and has often been used as an
example of divine beauty in Hindu iconography. In fact, most deities
of Asian religions are depicted seated on a lotus flower, signifying
purity of body, speech and mind. In Egyptian history, it was seen as
a symbol of the sun, of creation and rebirth, as at night the flower
closes and sinks underwater, rising and opening again at dawn.
Throughout classical literature, the lotus represents elegance,
beauty, perfection, purity and grace, often applied in poems and
songs as an allegory for ideal feminine attributes.
It is the graceful petals of the lotus flower which have
inspired Graff’s new design. The timeless yet contemporary Lotus
Collection features exquisite necklaces and earrings, each hand-set
by Graff’s master craftsmen with the most perfect diamonds,
emeralds, sapphires or rubies, linked together to create a graceful
and fluid waterfall-like effect by invisible platinum wires. Evoking the
petals of the lotus flower, pear shape, round and marquise gemstone
drops radiate a tranquil beauty as every stone is set to catch the
light and sparkle with the movement of the wearer – and endow the
mystic flower’s qualities of elegance and beauty.
72
A GEM OF AN IDEA
Graff’s charity facEt offErs
Ground-brEakinG, lifE-chanGinG
proGrammEs for communitiEs in
sub-saharan africa, and has Good
causE to cElEbratE somE rEcEnt,
siGnificant succEssEs
Words Maria YacoobphotoGraphy Micky Hoyle
74
As Lionel Smit heard the auctioneer call lot
number six, his pulse quickened and he felt faint.
Smit’s larger than life-sized portrait of a Cape
Malay woman, ‘Girl Submerged’, was about to
go under the hammer. He looked around at the
assembled crowd of South Africa’s most
prominent art lovers and philanthropists, and
hoped the painting would reach its reserve price.
A few minutes later, ‘Girl Submerged’
fetched R190,000 (around $24,500). At four times
the reserve bid, it was the highest price ever paid
for Smit’s work in South Africa. He was elated. Yet
the artist received no money at all from the sale.
The painting, along with 14 other works by South
Africa’s most collected and esteemed artists, was
a donation to Laurence Graff’s charity, the FACET
Foundation. The auction was the culmination of
a fund-raising evening hosted at the Delaire Graff
Estate, in Stellenbosch in the country’s Western
Cape, an event that raised R1.4m (around
$181,000) for FACET.
‘I was thrilled to take part in the FACET art
auction,’ reveals Smit. ‘When art has the power to
affect someone’s life, it is very rewarding.’ Smit’s
father Anton, also a celebrated artist, donated a
bronze, neo-tribal sculpture, ‘African Queen’.
‘FACET is doing fantastic work in South Africa,
Lesotho and Botswana,’ he enthuses. ‘Its goals
of upliftment and empowerment are close to my
heart. When I was asked to donate work to the
auction, I immediately said yes.’ The money raised
by the auction will go directly to FACET’s latest
project in the Cape Winelands. There are many
impoverished children in the region who are
further disadvantaged and vulnerable due to
alcohol. A shocking 12 per cent suffer from Foetal
Alcohol Syndrome. FACET, in partnership with
local charity The Pebbles Project, will build a Graff
Leadership Centre in the Winelands. The building
will provide a home for new projects and initiatives.
Some of these will offer support and training to
local children; others will establish after-school
provision for the older children living in the region.
The ways in which programmes at Graff
Leadership Centres can change lives is known
only too well by Mmoloki Segobaetso, a 22-year-
old from Botswana. The young man dreamed of
becoming a nurse, but, as a school drop-out, had
little means or hope of achieving this. But then he
had a chance introduction to the charity Stepping
Stones International, FACET’s partner in Botswana,
at a Youth Against HIV/AIDS event in the town of
Mochudi. This led to an invitation for him to join
the FACET-funded Finding the Leader Within
programme, based at Mochudi’s Graff Leadership
Centre, which opened last October.
74
bright future Mmoloki Segobaetso at work in Botswana’s Mochudi
hospital, right. Children at the opening of the Graff Leadership Centre in
Botswana, far right. Painting by Lionel Smit, bottom left, and sculpture
by Gerhard Deetlefs, bottom right, at the FACET Foundation’s art auction.
The new Graff Leadership Centre in Mochudi, opposite
‘I couldn’t wait to start,’ recalls Mmoloki. ‘My hard
work paid off. I was offered a leadership position
as a peer mentor and assisted with tutoring
orphaned and vulnerable youth in the in-school
programme. The income I earned from this
enabled me to register to rewrite my school
examinations.’ Soon after, he started his own
initiative, the Kick Poverty Charitable Group,
collecting second-hand clothes, food and other
materials for those most in need.
Through his participation in the programme
Mmoloki was offered an internship and then a job
at the city’s hospital. ‘My participation in the
programme has opened doors I didn’t think
possible at my young age,’ he says. ‘I’m proud to
be working as a phlebotomist with the University
of Botswana Research Department on a National
Malaria Survey. It is my goal to have received an
offer of admission to the University of Botswana
nursing programme by the end of the year. Then
I can contribute to saving lives, helping the sick,
and bringing new lives into this world.’
Mmoloki was one of 67 students to enrol
in the first year-long course at the Mochudi Graff
Leadership Centre. Of those, five have already
found jobs. These initial successes in Botswana
are exciting news.
The first Graff Leadership Centre in
Lesotho has now completed its third annual Youth
Development Leadership campaign, run by local
charity Help Lesotho. For the 30 young men and
women on this three-month programme, issues to
do with gender, relationships and HIV came to the
forefront. These subjects are not discussed openly
in Basotho culture. Talking about them, and
challenging culturally accepted beliefs, led to
some revelations among the participants. One
man who thought it was his duty to beat his wife
when she disobeyed him later admitted he was
wrong. A young woman began to understand how
her sexual behaviour was putting her own health
and life at risk. Another man with suicidal thoughts
came to realise he was a worthwhile person. In
a country where employment opportunities are
scarce, and poverty and HIV/AIDS are widespread,
the support and life skills offered by the leadership
training have a significant impact.
While Graff works with the most beautiful
diamonds in the world, FACET is concerned with
mining diamonds of a different type – the raw
talent of South Africa, Lesotho and Botswana,
which, with the charity’s help, can shine, too.
www.facet-foundation.org
Graff’s entry into the world of
haute horlogerie has been swift
and distinctive. In 2008, Michel
Pitteloud, then a consultant with
over 30 years experience in the
watch and jewellery industry,
approached Laurence Graff,
who asked him to develop a comprehensive watch
collection. As the project completed its first year,
Michel was named CEO of Graff Luxury Watches,
and he continues to seek technical perfection and
astonishing attention to detail.
At this year’s BaselWorld he revealed the
latest chapter in Graff’s adventure in haute horlogerie
and explained some of the details involved. Michel
describes the MasterGraff Skeleton Automatic as
‘a piece of jewellery. It’s a marriage between
extremely difficult diamond work and a movement
which is a premiere mondial. Skeleton watches like
this we have already produced and sold. But if you
turn the skeleton automatic upside down you will
see the oscillating weight, which is in platinum and
set on both sides – this has never existed. It’s like a
balance is floating in nowhere, in the water or the air.’
The MasterGraff Skeleton Automatic floats
and sparkles because light flashes through the
movement, thanks largely to the transparent
sapphire bridges on which the 150 movement
components (and rotor) are suspended. This is
something that is seen only rarely in watches and
is incredibly costly. The hardness of sapphire
means that specialist tools and even more specialist
expertise are needed to machine the bridges,
many of which have to be discarded during the
manufacturing process – even the slightest crack
around a drilling hole means rejection.
The same obsession with technical perfection applies
to the way the diamonds are set into the case. As
Michel details, the numbers are extraordinary: ‘We
had to cut down 75 carats of diamond to reach
the 22 that you have on the final watch. Imagine!
And the 24 stones on top of the bezel are all certified
and obviously of the highest quality. And another
feature, something that is stunning, is the number
of different cuts. There are 200 stones but 110
different cuts meaning that any second stone is
always different from its neighbour. First of all you
have to design the stones to fit in this watch.
Second, you have to find the stone which is the
closest match (but they are never exactly so).’
Then the stone is cut according to the
space and finally set. Even then, he says, ‘It is
always possible that the stone is not perfect within
our tolerance (which is about 10 microns) and has
A WORD WITH…
CEO Of graff luxury watChEs MIChEl PIttElOuD describes
to JAMes GUrNeY the iNcredible crAftsMANship ANd
techNicAl chAlleNGes behiNd the eYecAtchiNG beAUtY of
the New MAsterGrAff skeletoN AUtoMAtic
to be recut. Finding the right stones is difficult. For
the small stones, you can probably find stones on
the market that you recut. For the large stones, such
as the 9mm top stone it is harder. If the stone was
square it would be a two carat emerald cut. Then
you cut away the parts and you redo the faceting
in the back, this is why you lose so much because
it ends up as a 0.80 carat.’
Remember also that the stones have to
shine from every one of over 7,000 facets without
any dull spots. Although the hard work of designing
the precise geometry of the setting has already
been done (for the MasterGraff Diamond Tourbillon)
and can, in principle, be repeated, each stone is a
unique challenge in terms of cutting. ‘One of the
new challenges for this watch was the width of the
rotor. If you set on both sides, the stones have to be
separated, otherwise it would be too thick.’ This,
Michel proudly declares, ‘is knowledge we have
developed in-house – no other house can match this.’
The watch only really came about by chance,
by curiosity – the best sort of way, Michel recalls.
‘A client asked me, “What if you did a watch where
you could see through the diamonds sideways, to
the movement?” This is impossible, because you
never see through a diamond, unless it is flat and
has no reflection. But then I said yes, what we
could do is set all of the surfaces, up, down,
sideways, the lugs and everything… the idea is that
this would be a huge diamond and the lugs are
the claws to hold the diamond.’
The Skeleton is not the only story for Graff watches.
The GyroGraff is another world first (see p66). The
watch is a double-axis tourbillon with a three-
dimensional moonphase in gold. Though both rare,
neither complication is unique in itself. This,
however, is the first watch to combine both ideas.
‘Making a premiere mondial is important to Graff; it
shows our capacity to make things like this. It
shows the position of our brand that we are able
to do extremely complicated watches. The idea
came from asking our watch designers how we
could make a special watch even more so. One
nice touch is that the tourbillon has a beautiful
counter-weight you can see as it turns. And,
although the movement is quite tall, the watch
is not too big and the tourbillon comes so close
to the glass.’
‘we asked our designers
how we could make a
special watch even more so’
skeleton key Responding to a challenge from a client to create an impossible
watch where ‘you could see sideways through the diamonds to the movement’,
Graff’s master craftsmen created the MasterGraff Skeleton Automatic, where
every surface is set with diamonds to create a similar effect
Graff clients expect something exceptional, and
the movements in Graff watches – including the
MasterGraff Double Tourbillon GMT and the
MasterGraff Diamond Minute Repeater (see
p62) – deliver beyond all expectations. ‘The
MasterGraff Double Tourbillon GMT has two
separate movements, which means you can set
them totally differently, so in some time zones
where you have a half an hour difference you
could show that,’ Michel explains.
The MasterGraff Diamond Minute Repeater
sounds with an astonishingly clear tone, another
example of what happens when remarkable
technical achievements, great horological
tradition, and beautiful, innovative design are in
perfect harmony – and when the Graff insistence
on perfection is thrown in for good measure.
77
GRAFF stoReswoRldwide
EUROPE
UK
London
UK Flagship store
6–8 New Bond Street
London W1S 3SJ
Tel: +44 20 7584 8571
11 Sloane Street
London SW1X 9LE
Tel: +44 20 7201 4120
Monaco
Monte carlo
Hôtel de Paris
Place du Casino
Monte Carlo 98000
Tel: +377 97 70 43 10
Visit the Graff Rare Jewels
Exhibition at the Hôtel de Paris
from 20 July to 19 August
France
courchevel
Rue du Rocher
73120 Courchevel 1850
Tel: +33 479 24 59 12
Also at:
Hôtel Les Airelles
Chalet de Pierres
Hôtel Palace des Neiges
Tel: +33 680 86 20 39
SwitzerLand
Geneva
29 Rue du Rhône
1204 Geneva
Tel: +41 22 819 6060
Gstaad
Grand Hotel Park
29 Wispilenstrasse
CH 3780 Gstaad
Tel: +41 22 819 6060
rUSSia
Moscow
Tretiakovsky Proezd, 6
109012 Moscow
Tel: +7 495 933 3385
Luxury Village
Barvikha
143083 Moscow
Tel: +7 495 933 3385
TSUM department store
2 ul. Petrovka
125009 Moscow
Tel: +7 495 933 3399
UKraine
Kiev
12/2/3 Gorodetskogo Street
01001 Kiev
Tel: +38 044 278 7557
NORTH AMERICA
new York
710 Madison Avenue
New York
New York 10065
Tel: +1 212 355 9292
Bal Harbour
9700 Collins Avenue
Bal Harbour
Florida 33154
Tel: +1 305 993 1212
chicago
103 East Oak Street
Chicago
Illinois 60611
Tel: +1 312 604 1000
Las Vegas
Wynn Las Vegas
3131 Las Vegas Blvd South
Las Vegas
Nevada 89109
Tel: +1 702 940 1000
Palm Beach
221 Worth Avenue
Palm Beach
Florida 33480
Tel: +1 561 355 9292
San Francisco
237 Post Street
San Francisco
California 94108
Tel: +1 415 926 7000
in selected SaKS stores:
SAKS 5th Avenue, New York
Beverly Hills, California
Naples, Florida
Tyson’s Corner, Virginia
AFRICA
SoUtH aFrica
Stellenbosch
Delaire Graff Estate
Helshoogte Pass
Banhoek Valley
Stellenbosch 7600
Tel: +27 021 885 8160
THE MIDDLE EAST
dUBai
The Burj Al Arab
Dubai
Tel: +9714 330 7717
The Dubai Mall
Dubai
Tel: +9714 339 9795
ASIA
cHina
Beijing
The Peninsula Beijing
8 Goldfish Lane
Wangfujing
Beijing 100006
Tel: +86 10 6513 6690
Hong Kong
The Peninsula Hong Kong
Salisbury Road
Kowloon
Hong Kong SAR
Tel: +852 2735 7666
Shanghai
The Peninsula Shanghai
Shop L1 O
32 Zhongshan Dong Yi Road
The Bund
Shanghai 200002
Tel: +86 21 6321 6660
JaPan
tokyo
The Peninsula Tokyo
1-8-1 Yurakucho
Chiyoda-ku
Tokyo 100-0006
Tel: +81 3 6267 0811
taiwan
taipei
The Grand Formosa
Regent Taipei
2nd Floor
41 Chung Shan North Road
Section 2
Taipei
Tel: +886 2511 5865
OPENING SOON
Hubin Mall, Hangzhou, China
Wynn Macau, China
Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong, China
IFC Pudong, Shanghai, China
Isetan, Tokyo, Japan
GRAFF, CHINA The new Graff store will open at
the hubin mall in hangzhou later this year
7878
DESIGNAuctIoN 15 JuNE 2012 NEW YoRK
Sale enquiries Alexander Payne [email protected] +1 212 940 1200
Phillips de Pury & Company 450 Park Avenue New York 10022
Enquiries +44 20 7318 4010 Catalogues +44 20 7318 4039 / +1 212 940 1240
PhilliPsdEPury.Com
EmilE-JACQuEs ruhlmANN
Pair of ‘Gonse’ armchairs, circa 1930–32
Sold for $1,426,500 New York, December 2011
coNtEMPoRARY ARt EvENING AuctIoN 28 JuNE 2012 | DAY AuctIoN 29 JuNE 2012 LoNDoN
Sale enquiries Peter Sumner [email protected] +44 207318 4010
Phillips de Pury & Company Howick Place London SW1P 1BB
Enquiries +44 20 7318 4010 Catalogues +44 20 7318 4039 / +1 212 940 1240
PhilliPsdEPury.Com
ANdy WArhol
Princess Diana, 1982
Synthetic polymer paint and
silkscreen ink on canvas.
127 x 107 cm (50 x 46 in)
Estimate £900,000 – 1,200,000