The Wonder of Yellow Diamonds
If any stone can capture joy, the yellow diamond is unbeaten. Until the second half of the 19th century few yellow diamonds had been found, but today they are one of the most sought-after jewels, partly in thanks to Laurence Graff, who was one of the first to shine the spotlight on them.
Ever the innovator, ground-breaking techniques were developed by Graff to find new cuts that would best enhance the colour of yellow diamonds, rendering them the finest of their kind. Science explains their remarkable colour – it is nitrogen that billions of years ago differentiated a colourless diamond from its canary diamond sibling. Yellow is the only diamond colour whose grading begins on the lower end of the GIA D-Z diamond colour scale and continues into the ‘Fancy’ hues, giving yellows the widest and most fascinating range of variants.
The most prized are the four Fancy diamond grades, from Fancy Light to the top-of-the-range Fancy Vivid diamond, with its perfect equilibrium of colour and saturation. Enhancing a diamond’s colour is a skill that only a master cutter with at least ten years’ experience can attempt, and it is an audacious art. These inconceivably rare diamonds were formed deep within the earth some three billion years ago, and they are still being formed beneath our feet, waiting to be unearthed millions of years from now.
The Peace Diamond
In 2017, Graff acquired the 709 carat Peace Diamond. The second largest rough diamond discovered in Sierra Leone, this historic stone will soon reveal its secrets, which are expected to include a gem of such importance that it will join Graff’s hallowed roll call of famous yellow diamonds.
The Graff Sunflower
With a bewitchingly beautiful hue, the Graff Sunflower, a magnificent 107.46 carat Fancy Yellow diamond, is an elegant cushion cut stone displaying exquisite radiance and powerful scintillation.
The Golden Empress
Of all Graff’s famous yellows, The Golden Empress exceeded all in terms of magnitude. Cut from a 299 carat rough found in the Kingdom of Lesotho, the rich hue of the 132.55 carat Fancy Intense Yellow cushion cut diamond is truly extraordinary.
The Delaire Sunrise
Cut from an exceedingly rare octahedron shaped 221.81 carat rough diamond mined in South Africa, this 118.08 carat gem was certified by the GIA to be the largest Fancy Vivid Yellow square emerald cut diamond in the world.
The Star of Bombay
The stone that started it all, the Star of Bombay was the first famous diamond to be named by Laurence Graff. He acquired and repolished the 47.39 carat square emerald cut yellow diamond in 1974.Discover Graff’s Yellow Diamond Jewels
An array of sunshine yellow diamonds, from the delicate to the magnificent.