Graffiti AW12

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Cover photography Matthew Shave Styling Michelle Duguid On the cover Perfectly matching 10.03ct D Internally Flawless cushion cut diamond drop earrings, set with round diamonds on swan hooks (Diamonds 23.65cts). 23.55ct D Internally Flawless cushion cut diamond ring set with heart shape diamond shoulders. Radiant cut yellow and round white diamond bracelet (Diamonds 125.42cts) Dress by Luisa Beccaria

DAN BuRN-FoRTI; GRAEME MoNTGoMERy; MATTHEW SHAvE; TIF HuNTER; TED HuMBLE-SMITH

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 Lucy Teasdale Chief Copy Editor Chris Madigan Picture Editor Juliette Hedoin Copy Editors Sarah Evans, Cate Langmuir, Ming Liu Managing Director Peter Howarth For Graff Katherine Roach, Joanne Hill, Lily Liebel, Adam Norton, Jessica Lansley, Charlotte Dauphin, Holly Howe, Guy Chambers Advertising Penny Weatherall, Joanne Hill and Katherine Roach at Graff; +44 (0)20 7584 8571; graffiti@graffdiamonds.com Colour reproduction by FMG; www.wearefmg.com Printing by Taylor Bloxham; www.taylorbloxham.co.uk

CONTENTS 16 MAJESTIC HERITAgE The histories and heritages of rubies, sapphires and emeralds are as mysterious and dynamic as the colourful gemstones themselves

Jewellery of the most delicate and exquisite craftsmanship, showcasing opulent, rare gems, dress seasonal scenes of nature’s organic grace

36 AUTUMNAL AFFINITY

64 BY THE HOUR The collections of Graff’s luxury watches are inspired by the facets of a perfectly cut diamond, a marriage of gem-setting skills and fine Swiss watch-making

22 HEART OF DARKNESS

44 pURE ESSENCE The story of

72 gIFT OF HOpE Individuals

Despite no formal art training, the artist Francis Bacon had the rare privilege of two Tate retrospectives exhibiting his powerful canvases

Aromatherapy Associates, whose beauty products – using essential oils sourced from remote locatins – are used at The Delaire Graff Spa

from Lesotho and Botswana describe how their lives have been turned around for the better with help and support of the FACET foundation

28 LUXURY ROW London’s Bond Street has long been a by-word for luxury and, throughout history, a place for promenading by Regency dandies and society ladies

48 SEASON OF BEAUTY

76 A WORD WITH... Anne-Eva Geffroy, Graff’s Design Director, explains the process of designing jewellery from the initial brainstorm to collaboration with the workshop

In an enchanting estate, decadent grandeur and languorous elegance is made radiant by the brilliance and fire of spectacular, sublime jewellery

©GRAFF DIAMONDS 2012

t Graff Diamonds time is very important to us: the time it takes to discover rare stones, the many hours of painstaking work involved in cutting and polishing, and the weeks spent creating pieces of jewellery. While we specialise in the highest quality diamonds, we also use the finest rubies, sapphires and emeralds; in this issue Sarah Carpin looks into the history and heritage of these colourful gemstones, and describes the qualities of exceptional examples.

Our haute horology is the ultimate in time-keeping: Simon de Burton introduces timepieces from the Technical, Dress, Sport and Jewellery collections, watches to suit different times of the day. Inspired by the facets of a perfectly-cut diamond, Graff watches combine gem-setting skills with the finest Swiss watch-making.

Becoming a Master Craftsman at Graff Diamonds takes many years and is part of a long tradition going back many generations. In our workshop today are two young apprentices, both indentured through the Goldsmiths Company. This London guild was founded in 1327 to regulate the craft; we look at how it continues to play a critical role in support of the industry, assisting with the technical training of aspiring craftsmen.

The artist Francis Bacon had no formal training, George Pendle writes, describing Bacon’s artistic vision and volatile life, and how, over decades, he has taken his place as one of the greatest painters of the 20th century. His work might well be on sale in a gallery or auction house on Bond Street; Robert Ryan reveals how, for over 300 years, this famous street has been a convenient shorthand for ultra luxury. We are proud to have recently re-opened the doors to a newly redesigned and expanded Graff store, which we invite you to discover.

We are also proud of the work being done by the FACET Foundation. In Lesotho and Botswana, FACET is helping disadvantaged people find their own way with targeted support. Maria Yacoob reports on some very personal stories that give hope and dreams to all those who can be guided and motivated in the future. It might take time, but giving back, to help people help themselves, is the most precious gift.

I hope you enjoy this issue.

A

Laurence Graff Chairman of Graff Diamonds

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SOCIAL DIARY

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NortherN Glow Shenyang, the next gem in Graff’s ever growing list of global boutiques, hosted a series of events in August. Guests included Ms Xu Yan (4); and Mr Cao Junqi and Arnaud Bastien (Regional Director, Asia) (5). The various events featured beautiful models (7), stunning Graff jewellery and watch showcases (6), and exquisite private dinners

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asiaN pearl In March, a Graff and Rolls-Royce Hong Kong collaboration brought together the city’s VIPs, including Ms Marina Tse & Ms Louisa Tse, with a Graff model (1); Miss Joanne, Mrs Bonnie & Miss Joei Chan (2); and Mr & Mrs Stephen Hung (3)

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summer of love Graff collaborated with Trading Up magazine in Beijing and Qingdao to showcase their beautiful masterpieces. A high tea was held on 29 June at the Peninsula Hotel Beijing, while in Qingdao on 4 July, the private club Majesty Mansion hosted the event with a special performance by the violinist Mr Hang Zhang (11). Stylists were on hand to show how each incredible piece could be worn by VIP guests, who included Mr Zhang Yi-cheng & friend (8); Ms Bing Sui, Mr Ouyang Chaosong and Ms Yu Sui (9); Ms Zhai Yulin (10); and Mr Liu Yu, Ms Sui Yu, Ms Jia Lijia, Arnaud Bastien and Ms Huang Shiyuan (12)

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hamptoNs hospitality Graff Diamonds was proud to act as Jewellery Chair of the 54th Annual Southampton Hospital Summer Party. In support of this partnership, Graff hosted a reception on 4th August in Southampton for Graff’s VIP clients and the Hospital’s top donors, where guests sipped on delicious cocktails whilst admiring the beautiful diamonds that Graff is known for, all in support of a great cause. Guests enjoying the event included Dylan Brant, Peter Brant, Anna Throne-Holst (18), Laura Lofaro Freeman (19) and Rob and Sheryl Goldstein (20), while models (17), displayed Graff’s beautiful diamonds.

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GraNd show As a sponsor of the Evergreen Invitational in Chicago, an equestrian Grand Prix show benefitting Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Graff Diamonds hosted a reception in the Chicago store on 3 May. Among the VIP clients enjoying an evening of jewels and delicious cocktails were: JB Pritzker, Henri Barguirdjian (CEO of Graff USA) & MK Pritzker (13); Patrick & Meredith Wood-Prince (14); Trish Rooney Alden & Melissa McNally (15); and Nora Daley Conroy & Neal Zucker (16)

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New york state of miNd Henri Barguirdjian and Noosheen Hashemi hosted an intimate evening of exquisite food and diamonds in Graff’s New York flagship store. Among the 11 VIP guests were Behnaz Sarafpour (21) and Trevor and Alexis Traina (22); with hosts Noosheen Hashemi & Henri Barguirdjian (23). After cocktails and hors d’oeuvres in the main salon, guests moved to the VIP room upstairs for a private dinner (24) and the chance to try on Graff’s latest creations

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33 tempting taiwan On 17 September Graff Taiwan hosted two prestigious high jewellery events for VIP clients, including Ms Wang Xiu-Zhi, Ms Lee Feng-Ting & Ms Chang Yan-Ling (29); and Ms Wang Yun-Han, Ms Wu Chun-Xiang, Ms Liu Shu-Fen, Ms Wu Mei-Ting, Ms Chang Ru-Yi, Ms Chang Shu-Hui & Ms Hsu Chung-Wei (32), who all enjoyed Graff’s beautiful jewels in a beautiful setting (30 & 31)

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night in nevaDa For the grand opening of The Smith Center for the Performing Arts in Las Vegas, which featured the Nevada Ballet Theatre (27), Graff showcased a stunning array of jewels. Guests included Mr & Mrs Bob Arum (25); Mr & Mrs Steve Anderson (26); and the Martin family, left, with the Mayors Goodman and Cara Goodman (28)

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tokyo Dream In April, Graff Tokyo hosted an intimate dinner in the Graff store in the Peninsula Hotel (33). Live jazz and cuisine from the hotel’s top chef (35) was the perfect backdrop for the 10 VIP guests to marvel at Graff’s exquisite jewellery. Among those attending were Mrs Tomie Kakishima & Mrs Miyuki Mochizuki (34); and Mrs Yoshiko Izumi & Mrs Mari Kamada (36)

burning passion Multishape ruby and diamond tassel necklace (Rubies 273.82cts, Diamonds 134.72cts)

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MAJESTIC HERITAGE The finesT examples of The world’s mosT preCioUs ColoUred sTones are The sTars of Graff’s UniqUe jewellery ColleCTions phoToGraphy Graeme Montgomery | words Sarah Carpin

xquisite red rubies, enchanting emeralds, regal blue sapphires – mythologies and stories have been woven around these most precious of coloured stones for hundreds, if not thousands, of years, from the Ancient Greeks to Queen Cleopatra and the tales of Sinbad. Battles have been fought, empires founded and pirates have plundered the finest of these stones, sought out for their dazzling beauty, rarity and reputed special powers.

Graff Diamonds is one of the world’s premier destinations for these rare gems, and according to its Chairman Laurence Graff: ‘There is something wonderfully enigmatic about rubies, emeralds and sapphires,’ he says. ‘The secrets that they hold within the depths of their rich colour, the

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unique character of each individual stone; the way a gemstone connects with you when you hold it in your hand is deeply personal; it’s truly magical.’

Experts at Graff spend a great deal of time sourcing the very finest gemstones on the market, which have to pass a rigorous selection process.

‘Our experienced gemmologists are constantly challenged to source and match the finest rubies, emeralds and sapphires in the world,’ Laurence Graff explains. ‘It is extremely time-consuming and requires a great deal of skill but the results are incredibly rewarding. To see a perfect gemstone creation is simply breathtaking.’

This challenge would have been familiar to the 17th century French jeweller Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, who travelled to India to seek out diamonds and rare precious stones for King Louis XIV. Tavernier once said that, ‘any ruby over five carats has no price’. But two such priceless and

secret garden Carved emerald and round and pear shape diamond necklace (Diamonds 59.86cts, Emeralds 34.98cts); 41.83ct Emerald cut emerald ring with trilliant cut diamond shoulders on a round diamond band (Diamonds 3.98cts)

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breathtaking rubies are owned by Graff: the biggest is the Magok Ruby, which was first acquired by Graff in 1988 and has passed through the Company three times in its recent history. This incredible gemstone, which weighs 15.97 carats, comes from the Magok Stone Tract in Burma, a land known for centuries as the source of the world’s very finest rubies. Another rare and beautiful ruby, now known as the Graff Ruby, a cushion-cut stone of 8.62 carats, is also a prized possession as ‘the ruby of all rubies’ because of its unsurpassable calibre and intense colour.

The Burmese Magok rubies have been regarded as the finest of all rubies since Victorian times. The colour of the best of them is so saturated, so deep and so unfathomable that Western jewellers found it hard to describe. The Burmese had no such difficulty – they referred to the colour as ‘pigeon’s blood’. The name comes from the ancient Burmese tradition of making animal sacrifices to the gods, and in the past, Burmese soldiers carried these dark red rubies into war in the belief that the crystals would give them courage and protect them in battle. Likened in fables to the fire of the sun, rubies have also long been associated with seduction and passion.

The rubies within Graff’s unique ruby and diamond tassel necklace (previous page), took many months to source. Matching stones of exactly the same hue and clarity is a painstaking business, and sourcing over 273 carats of rubies within the necklace, and over 73 carats of rubies within the matching earrings, demanded a great deal of patience.

Once the stones are sourced and assessed to be of the finest quality then Graff’s master craftsmen can begin their artistry: turning these exquisite gems into bejewelled works of art.

Cutting and threading ruby beads is a delicate task and designing the final piece demands an expert eye for both the intricacies of the rubies and how they dance in the light, along with the diamonds that surround them.

Each stone is expertly set and mounted to bring out its unique beauty, while drawing the eye inwards towards central stones within the necklace: two exceptional, seductive unheated cushion-cut rubies weighing 4.50 carats and 3.01

carats. Look deep within these rubies and the rich red colours will subtly shift as the light enters the stones; this is a necklace that can light up a room.

Emeralds have been prized by royalty and rulers for centuries. It is known that Egypt’s Queen Cleopatra owned emerald mines in the deserts of North Africa and often sent her emeralds as gifts to far-off rulers or lovers, sometimes engraved with her portrait by way of showing both her wealth and her beauty. Emeralds were highly sought after by the Ancient Romans and were also Napoleon’s favourite precious stone.

Unlike other stones, emeralds are usually full of inclusions and, while these may be considered imperfections within a diamond, jewellers call the inclusions within an emerald its ‘garden’, because they look like a miniature landscape growing deep within the crystal. Each emerald has its own secret garden, hiding deep beneath its faceted exterior, making each stone a unique individual.

A new collection of one-of-a-kind jewels at Graff has been designed around rare carved emeralds. ‘Emeralds by nature are extremely brittle, which makes the beautiful leaves, flowers and patterns carved into these emeralds all the more impressive,’ says Laurence Graff. ‘Each carving is unique, combining the individual flair of the craftsman with the natural fingerprint of the emerald itself. The result is a totally bespoke creation to be treasured for generations.’

A beautiful necklace from this collection (opposite) features a superlative carved emerald of just under 35 carats, set in platinum with the finest quality white round and pear-shape diamonds, while the emerald ring features a classic emeraldcut stone of 41.83 carats. This exceptional stone is set in platinum and accented with white trilliant-cut diamond shoulders. ‘If we design with coloured precious stones, these are often a focal point of the piece,’ explains Graff’s Design Director Anne-Eva Geffroy. ‘But it is just as important to obtain the correct balance of white diamonds. Diamonds are

precious stones have been worn as symbols of heaven, royalty or love

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royal blue Emerald cut sapphire and baguette cut diamond bracelet (Sapphires 94.06cts, Diamonds 5.34cts); 46.81ct Emerald cut sapphire ring set with multishape diamonds (Diamonds 2.09cts)

an important element when designing with emeralds, rubies or sapphires, they enhance the intensity of colour and bring these precious stones vibrantly to life.’

Sapphires have been known as royal stones in the Western world for many centuries, worn by kings and bishops. The deepest of blue sapphires represent the colour of heaven and in medieval times were believed to soothe the wearer and to bring pure and noble thoughts.

The oldest European crown in existence, made for a 7th-century king of the Visigoths, is set with sapphires and pearls, with an extraordinary fringe of pear-shape sapphires. St Edward’s sapphire, which sits in the centre of the Imperial State Crown, is said to be the oldest sapphire in the British Crown Jewels, having first been set into the coronation ring of Edward the Confessor who became king in 1042. These sapphires originate from the world’s original ‘treasure island’, known

in ancient times as Serendip, later Ceylon and today as Sri Lanka.

While sapphires are generally prized as deep blue stones, they can come in every shade of colour, apart from red, when they are then known as rubies. To be a ‘natural’ sapphire stone means that the sapphire’s true colour has not been enhanced by man. The most common enhancement is heating the stones to bring out a darker, or more vivid, hue and improve the clarity of the stone. The vast majority of sapphires have been heat-treated and only trained gemmologists can tell the difference, which means that a certified unheated sapphire is both rare and very valuable.

Graff’s deep ocean-blue sapphire set within a platinum ring is one such unique natural stone. ‘This 46.81 carat unheated sapphire is truly one of a kind – displaying a mesmerising natural royal blue hue, a magnificent spread and an exceptional clarity,’ says Laurence Graff.

Acquired by Graff when it was set within an antique brooch, the sapphire displayed some surface scratches and was trusted to Graff’s expert team in order to reveal the stone’s full potential. Now, with outstanding clarity and with the most exquisite natural royal blue colour this stone is truly a sapphire that, in history, would have only graced the fingers of the aristocracy.

Whole human, geological and cultural stories are wrapped around these precious stones, from their origins many millions of years ago in far off lands, to the way in which they have been prized by mankind over the centuries and worn as symbols of heaven, royalty or love. Today, the gemmologists, designers and craftsmen at Graff are working together to create new histories with the finest examples of these gems, which will continue to be worn, treasured and loved for generations to come. Crafting yet another chapter in the everlasting romance of the stones.

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heart of darkness t is said that the eyes are the windows to the soul, but for Francis Bacon it was the mouth that acted as a portal. His paintings of maws stretched taut in terrible screams are less windows than crude doorways carved out of flesh. But where do they lead? If you look past the stretched purple-blue lips and sharp white teeth and deep into one of Bacon’s mouths you find only a black nothingness, an empty void. This is what Bacon saw when others went looking for a soul.

Bacon was born in Dublin in 1909 to English parents. His father was an unsuccessful trainer of racehorses with a volatile temper; his mother was independently wealthy and aloof. The young Francis was forced to take up riding and hunting but his hatred of country pursuits – exacerbated by the asthma that would plague him throughout his life – led his parents to shun him and he to despise them. His only solace was his nanny who would end up living with him for many years afterwards.

Largely tutored at home, Bacon claimed to have discovered that he was homosexual following

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an incident with the grooms in his father’s stables when he was in his teens. But it was his being caught by his father dressing up in his mother’s underwear that saw him expelled from the house.

Bacon travelled to London with a small allowance from his mother and tried a succession of odd jobs, including being a cook and working in a woman’s clothes shop, but he was quickly bored and kept getting fired from his positions. What he found interesting and excelled at was attracting older married men to pay his way for him. This led to tours of Weimar Berlin at the peak of its sexual and cultural excess, as well as trips to Paris. It was here, in 1927, that Bacon saw a Picasso exhibition that inspired him to take up painting. It was also during this trip that he saw Nicolas Poussin’s ‘Massacre of the Innocents’ (1626-7), in which a screaming mother tries vainly to prevent a soldier from killing her child. It was, Bacon said, ‘probably the best human cry ever painted.’

Back in London he began designing furniture and rugs in the International Style popularised by Le Corbusier, but while his work was featured in The Studio magazine it was not successful and his reliance on his lovers increased.

These were not hard to come by. Bacon had charm and wit, he looked young and made himself seem even younger by wearing make-up. Often, however, Bacon needed to wear this for other reasons than seduction. His sexual tastes were decidedly masochistic and he regularly needed to cover up his bruised face with thick layers of foundation.

Bacon had no art school training – a fact he would be eternally thankful for – but he was gradually moving from interior design into painting.

In 1933 he made his first sale with ‘Crucifixion’, a ghostly disintegrated figure, painted a translucent white on a flat black background, with the slim lines of a box radiating out around it. It was evidently influenced by Picasso, but seemed to prefigure key facets of Bacon’s later work. Indeed, by the mid-Thirties, Bacon’s lifelong artistic obsessions were beginning to congeal. He became fixated on Sergei Eisenstein’s film Battleship Potemkin (1925), in particular the scene of the bloodied nurse screaming on the Odessa Steps.

He began painting false teeth compulsively and bought a large book of colour plates showing the diseases of the mouth. All of these would inform his pictures for years to come. But his artistic

DaviD MontgoMery/getty iMages

arguaby britain’s greatest 20th century artist, Francis bacon was also probably this country’s most troubled – and troubling. GeorGe pendle examines a painter who looked at humanity and saw horror

career suffered a setback when in 1934 a show of follow-up paintings to ‘Crucifixion’ sold poorly and received bad notices. When he applied to be featured in the International Surrealist Exhibition of 1936 he was turned down as being ‘insufficiently surreal’. Angered and embarrassed he destroyed almost all his work to date.

The disappointment saw Bacon drift into heavy drinking, increasingly violent affairs and gambling, although this last vice provided his only regular income. Invalided out of the army in World War II (it was said that he had rented a dog to sleep in his bed the night before his medical test in order to exacerbate his asthma), Bacon turned back to painting with a ferociousness not seen heretofore. Unable to afford canvas, he painted on board and, in the midst of the war, created the work that finally signalled his arrival as a unique artist.

‘Three Studies For Figures at the Base of A Crucifixion’ (1944) was shown in an exhibition in April 1945 alongside works by Henry Moore and Graham Sutherland. It caused total consternation.

The picture was a triptych, the typical format for altar paintings, but the contents were anything but holy. In front of a putrid orange background, three soft-bodied monsters writhed and leered, snapping faceless mouths at the viewer. These are not your archetypal monsters with scaled wings and leathery tails. These awful phallic worms gnashing and howling were without precedent.

‘We had no name for them,’ recalled the critic John Russell upon seeing the work, ‘and no name for what we felt about them.’ This was something entirely new – and terrifying in its newness.

renowned and fury Bacon’s 1944 triptych ‘Three Studies For Figures at the Base of A Crucifixion’, top – based on the avenging Furies in the Greek Oresteia play series – shocked the art world. Bacon, above, with two panels from ‘Three Studies for Portrait of Henrietta Moraes’ (1963). Opposite, ‘Study for Head of George Dyer’ (1967). Prevous page: portrait of Francis Bacon with ‘Study for Portrait of John Edwards’, taken in 1989 by David Montgomery

It is notable that Bacon did not use the definite article in his painting’s title. The crucifixion here was not Christ’s but, as Russell described it, ‘a generic name for an environment in which bodily harm is done to one or more persons and one or more persons gather to watch.’ It seemed that these monsters Bacon had painted, whom he likened to the Furies of Aeschylus, were waiting for us all, and there would be no resurrection after they had their way with us.

It was only the beginning of what sometimes seemed like an identity parade from hell, in which every picture looked different but was guilty of the same crime. A series of heads appeared in the following years, terrifyingly blurred visions of animal-human hybrids until, with ‘Head VI’ (1949), Bacon created the first of what would be his most iconic images.

Based on Velázquez’s ‘Portrait of Pope Innocent X’ (1650), Bacon portrayed the pontiff in a sensuous purple cape, trapped in a transparent white cube. The top of the Pope’s head is lost in the darkness that surrounds him, his mouth is wide open and he is screaming.

Why was Bacon obsessed with the scream?

Was it because it held within it the uttermost expression of both orgasmic joy and fathomless despair? Did Bacon see it as the silent scream of the asthmatic gasping for breath? Or was it simply that vision of a black void at the centre of a human’s being? Whatever the case, its conjunction with the figure of the pope was sensational. The powerful pontiff of Velázquez’s painting was now rendered a helpless prisoner in a desolate, godless chamber.

TATE ImAgEs; DErEk BAyEr AspEcT/LEBrEchT musIc & ArTs/corBIs; ThE EsTATE of frAncIs BAcon (ALL rIghTs rEsErvED, DAcs 2012)/soThEBy’s

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Bacon’s popular fame grew exponentially and he lived long enough to Be given the rare privilege of two retrospectives at the tate Despite Bacon’s infamy, or rather because of it, no gallery would represent him. ‘Head VI’ was originally priced at £125 pounds (approximately £3,500 in today’s money) and proved hard to sell. He still struggled for money, and began using the backs of canvases to save money, although he found that he liked the way the coarse canvas backs held the paint and continued to paint that way for the rest of his life.

Despite his lack of sales he was at the centre of a hard-drinking Soho crowd that included the figurative painters Lucian Freud and Frank Auerbach. Among a welter of artists, drifters, criminals and the shabby genteel, Bacon’s jowly countenance and mockney whine could be seen and heard every day amid popping champagne corks at the infamous Colony Room.

He bitched and slandered, disparaging the American Abstract Expressionists as being mere pattern designers and singling Jackson Pollock out as a maker of ‘old lace’. In one of his most infamous incidents, he single-handedly booed Princess Margaret off the stage as she sang at a London ball, explaining, ‘Her singing really was too awful. Someone had to stop her.’ For a man who depicted so many open mouths in his artworks, in waking life Bacon preferred it if others kept theirs tightly shut.

Despite his often appalling behavior, there was a reason Bacon remained the center of attention. As the art critic and friend of Bacon, Daniel Farson, suggests in The Gilded Gutter Life of Francis Bacon, the daringness of being a homosexual at a time when it was still a crime seemed to lend Bacon an unhinged daring in his art. The paintings that flowed from him were sui generis. He did not belong to a school, he was without precursors and seemingly had no disciples. This was not to say he acted in a void.

On the contrary, he tapped a myriad of sources – Velázquez, Van Gogh, the photographic motion studies of Eadweard Muybridge, medical textbooks, pornography. Nevertheless he was indifferent to the varying status of his inspirations.

One was much like another. They simply acted as catalysts for his own unique vision. ‘Michelangelo and Muybridge are mixed up in my mind together,’ he told the critic David Sylvester.

Damaged forms in particular inspired him: images of disease, conflict or dismemberment, yes,

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but creases and tears in the pictures themselves too.

His studio in South Kensington was so coated in dried paint and dust, and held so many crumpled photos, sketches, and scrawls, that in many ways it seemed like an extension of Bacon’s psyche. (After Bacon’s death, the studio was kept intact and is now housed at the Hugh Lane Gallery in Dublin.)

As recognition of Bacon’s genius grew, he began to paint portraits, usually of his friends, and based on photographs he commissioned Vogue photographer John Deakin to take of them. Bacon deformed and reformed these subjects, bruising and slurring faces, colouring flesh in sickly hues, letting tumorous shadows leak across the floor.

‘Some people think that my paintings are horrible. Horrible!’ said Bacon in an interview, ‘But

then you only need to think about the meat on your plate.’ If you think my paintings are horrible, Bacon seemed to suggest, you’re just not looking at the rest of the world closely enough.

Part of the unease Bacon’s portraits cause is down to his placing them in front of backgrounds that have barely any ground in them at all. These puce geometrical cells, with putrid green walls and pitch black doorways, confine many of Bacon’s subjects – be they lovers, flanks of meat, or puddles of gore. To add to the claustrophobia, Bacon liked to place his paintings behind glass, further entrapping the images. At times, he seemed as much a sadistic prison warden as an artist.

Yet whatever control he bore over his subjects in his paintings, his dealings with them

in real life remained chaotic largely because of Bacon’s own mercurial temper. One muse and lover, Peter Lacy, a former Battle of Britain pilot, died of alcoholism in Tangier the day of Bacon’s first retrospective at the Tate in 1962. Another, George Dyer, a petty East End criminal whose distorted features appear in many of Bacon’s most famous paintings, committed suicide on the eve of a Bacon exhibition at the prestigious Grand Palais in Paris.

Nevertheless Bacon’s popular fame grew exponentially and he lived long enough to be given the rare privilege of two retrospectives at the Tate. While his vision remained resolutely unforgiving, his style became ever more refined, and in the portraits of his last companion, John Edwards, you might be shocked to find something that looks remarkably akin to affection.

It was extraordinary, considering the ferocity of Bacon’s artistic vision and personality, that, when he died in 1992, he was accorded the honours of a national treasure. And by the time ‘Tryptych, 1976’ (1976) sold for $86.3 million in 2008, Bacon had taken his place alongside Picasso and Pollock as one of the greatest painters of the 20th century.

Bacon never cared much for money, and he never made any moral claims for his art. He told the Beat writer, William S Burroughs, ‘I paint to try and excite myself, which doesn’t often happen.’ This brutal honesty about his aims was one of Bacon’s greatest qualities not only as a painter but as a person. The excitement in showing the human condition stripped bare of all metaphysical and physical comfort was a masochistic thrill to be sure, but it was one that rested in an ultimately noble search for truth. A real scream indeed.

The esTaTe of francis Bacon (all righTs reserved, dacs 2012)/Bridgeman arT liBrary; geTTy

pope and despair For ‘Head VI’ (1949), left, painted in 1946, Bacon took the image of Diego Velázquez’s ‘Portrait of Pope Innocent X’ and twisted it into a cry of hopelessness

www.candyandcandy.com

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LUXURY ROW Bond Street in london haS long Been aSSociated with Beauty, Splendour and excluSivity. RobeRt Ryan recountS a hiStory aS colourful aS the characterS that it haS attracted photography Dan Burn-Forti his is about a London street that does not actually exist.

You won’t find it on any accurate map. Put the name into a Sat Nav and the computer will be baffled, offering you alternatives in Harrow or Harrogate. Yet we all know this place, not, perhaps, as a physical entity, but as a concept, an elite construct. It is Bond Street in Mayfair.

Just a minute, you might say, of course it exists. It’s the elder sibling of Rue du FaubourgSaint Honoré in Paris, the Via Condotti in Rome or Rodeo Drive in Los Angeles. ‘Bond Street’ is a byword for ultra-luxury, a boulevard of achieved dreams. It has been a convenient shorthand for retail finery for over 300 years; yet it never actually existed, because this is a street of two halves – the

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old and the new. And even the new is quite old.

New Bond Steet runs south from Oxford Street to Conduit Street, where it narrows, and then at Burlington Gardens changes its name, and for the last 200 metres becomes Old Bond Street.

There is no section just called ‘Bond Street’ – except on the Monopoly board, where, just like in real life, it attracts the highest prices and best rents, and is also the name of the local tube station. So how did this dichotomy come about?

The answer lies back in the days when Mayfair was a patchwork of green fields, and site of the annual fortnight-long May Fair, which was held in the area until the late 18th century. But even before the fair decamped to Bow (it was thought it lowered the tone of the up-and-coming neighbourhood), Mayfair was being targeted by property speculators. Chief among them, in the

early 1680s, was wily Sir Thomas Bond, whose family motto, ‘Orbis non sufficit’ – The World is Not Enough – was borrowed by Eon Productions for the title of a James Bond movie. In fact, in the novel of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, it is suggested to 007 that he might be the heir to the street that bears his name. He declines to pursue the genealogical maze, being rather busy saving Western civilization.

It was Bond (the original one, not 007) who developed Old Bond Street between Piccadilly and Burlington Gardens. He then ran into a small problem: the rest of the land was owned by the City of London – and they were not selling. Then Bond died in 1685 and one of his fellow developers went bankrupt, driving work to a standstill. A Mayfair building boom in the 1720s reinvigorated the project, and, with the land now

sold by the City of London, the road – the only thoroughfare to link Piccadilly and Oxford Street – was finally finished, the second phase being christened New Bond Street. So New Bond Street is new in the sense that the New Forest (est 1079) is: it was new, once.

So why did it become so fashionable?

Well, promenading and shop gazing were just as much a pastime back then as they are today.

Regency dandies such as Beau Brummell would use the street to display their latest outfits – there was even a particular kind of peacock swagger they affected, called the Bond Street Roll.

By 1796, James Gillray was caricaturing the fashionable fops (known as Bond Street Loungers) and style-makers of their day – big feather plumes on large hats were all the rage for young women, it appears – with a cartoon of

corbis/alamy

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Sparkling hiStory Graff recently re-opened its flagship store on Bond Street, opening page, which was redesigned with a contemporary and luxurious interior, right. The iconic street, circa 1925, opposite, top. Nineteenth century dandy Beau Brummell frequented Bond Street, opposite, bottom, while 20th century icon Ingrid Bergman, below (in 1957), also shopped there

grotesques, called High Change in Bond Street, ou La Politesse de Grande Monde. Note that he, too, used the street name without a prefix: it was already a state of mind.

The following year Lord Nelson moved in – shopkeepers let out apartments on the upper floors – and he lived in two places, hence the brace of blue plaques on the west side of the street. His mistress, Lady Emma Hamilton, was also lodged at two addresses on the street for a time, hence the claim that Nelson lived at four addresses. Other famous residents included William Pitt the Elder, James Boswell (famous for his Bond Street literary soirées) and Henry Fielding, who wrote part of the rollicking Tom Jones there, perhaps inspired by the upmarket brothels that once populated the area.

It helped the street’s reputation no end that the window shoppers included nobility and royalty. Beau Brummell’s friend, the Prince of Wales (George VI), was a regular in the late 18th century and a subsequent Prince of Wales (Edward VII) patronised Madame Charbonnel’s (est 1874) chocolate shop – Charbonnel et Walker is still on Old Bond Street, at 28. That shop is at the entrance of The Royal Arcade, which added the ‘Royal’ prefix when none other than Queen Victoria came shopping there in 1882, marking the end of her long mourning for Albert.

In the Hound of the Baskervilles, originally serialised in The Strand Magazine from 1901-2, Arthur Conan Doyle has Holmes saying: ‘And now, Watson, …we will drop into one of the Bond Street picture galleries and fill in the time until we are due at the hotel.’

Today the picture galleries are still there.

Not quite as many as in Doyle’s day, but the street still features many prestigious galleries specialising in a wide range of genres from fine art to modern and contemporary. And, of course, the auction houses Sotheby’s (est 1744, but in the street at 34-35 since ‘only’ 1917) and Bonham’s both have a strong presence.

Then there is the public art. The Time & Life Building (now containing Hermès) actually has a Bruton Street address – No 1 – but its main façade faces onto New Bond Street. On that side, quite elevated, is a panel of four abstract pieces by sculptor Henry Moore, put there in 1953.

Created from Portland stone in his garden, it is alleged that Moore offered to buy them back,

promenading and shop gazing were just as much a pastime then as they are on the street today. regency dandies would use the street to display their latest outfits

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because he thought the third floor was too high for them to be appreciated properly. Rather easier to see, and touch, is the nearby Allies, which shows Churchill and Roosevelt sitting on a bench, chatting like old friends. The work, by American Lawrence Holofcener, was unveiled in 1995 by Princess Margaret, to mark 50 years of peace in Europe.

Allies is hugely popular with passers-by – there always seem to be someone having their photograph taken with the great men – but few latter-day loungers will notice the effigy of Sekhmet, the lion-goddess, over the door of Sotheby’s. The black basalt animal, which dates back to about 1320 BC, has been a Sotheby’s mascot since 1880, when it was sold for £40 but never collected by the buyer. It is believed to be the oldest outdoor statue in London. So Mr Holmes would still find plenty to distract him for an afternoon.

But, let’s face it, the chances are you are not in Bond Street just for art. You are unlikely to be there for the architecture, which is not its strong suit and, although there are some lovely

buildings, the street as a whole is not particularly harmonious. No, the thing here, as it has always been, is the exclusive shops themselves, and particularly the interiors. A store on Bond Street is a global flagship for a brand, a window for the world. Which is why Graff Diamonds has had a flagship store on New Bond Street since 1993.

Graff has recently re-opened its Bond Street doors, to reveal a newly redesigned and expanded store. It is exciting to see the London Whitbed Portland stone floral relief pattern around the entrance, a less abstract echo of Moore’s work on the Time & Life Building. The double door features Graff’s signature fishscale motif, characteristic of Graff stores worldwide. And the window displays, featuring macassar ebony showcases set within large bronze windows, of course, dazzle – as you would expect from Graff Diamonds – but it is the interior that takes the breath away.

Designed with a contemporary but luxurious direction by Graff’s own Monaco-based interior design team, stylistic influences from Graff

stores around the world have been referenced with striking new design elements. Spread over four floors, it is the lofty height of the ceilings, the lacquered European walnut panels, the marble underfoot, the stitched leather desks and the bronze panels (which slide back to reveal small private viewing spaces) which impress and complement the beautiful space. This classiccontemporary style suggests effortless opulence; in fact the main salon feels less like a retail environment and more like the lounge of the grandest six-star hotel you have never heard of.

There is even an in-store museum, showcasing replicas of some of the many ultra rare and historic diamonds that have passed through the company.

The newly re-opened Graff store adds an even greater dimension to both New Bond Street and to the mythical ‘Bond Street’; which, after all, is a byword for dreams, beauty, exclusivity, and the ultimate in luxury. Here is to another 300 years and more for all three streets – Old, New and just plain Bond – and the exclusive stores that make them so special.

CORBIS/alamy

grand interior Graff’s renewed Bond Street flagship store, now extending over four floors, has fine marble underfoot, lacquered walnut walls and stitched leather viewing desks

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WAY OF THE ARTIST to be an apprentice to a Master craftsMan at Graff DiaMonDs is to be part of a traDition that Goes back Many Generations WorDs Sarah Carpin photoGraphy Dan Burn-Forti

In the depths of Graff’s Mayfair headquarters in London, Manufacturing Director Raymond Graff controls the production of the jewellery that is seen throughout Graff’s stores globally. Craftsmen work in the state-of-the-art workshops with painstaking precision to create exquisite pieces that can be as fluid as fine silk or as breathtaking as a work of fine art.

It takes a combination of raw talent and passion for making couture jewellery, an unrelenting willingness to learn from the best along with steady hands and sharp eyes to become a craftsman at Graff, and Raymond Graff is always looking for new members to join his specialised team.

Several of the 70 or so men and women who work on the benches here have been working for Graff Diamonds all their adult lives, starting out as apprentices straight from school.

In the Graff workshop today are two such young apprentices, Oliver and George, both indentured through the Goldsmiths Company. One of the Twelve Great Livery Companies of the City of London, the company has played a critical role in the regulation and support of the craft and industry, funding apprenticeships and assisting with the technical training of aspiring craftsmen.

Oliver and George are part of this tradition that stretches back over the centuries: working with precious metals and setting rare gems to transform these marvels of nature into dazzling works of art. It can take more than 20 years of work as a craftsman before the ultimate status of ‘master craftsman’ is reached, but that is dependent on experience, skill and talent, so a time frame for this can never be set. Apprentices who begin training as diamond mounters are indentured to Graff for five years; diamond setters for four years; while polishing apprentices are indentured for three.

Each apprentice is allocated a master, who holds the honour and status of being a ‘Freeman of the Goldsmiths Company’ and guides their apprentice along every stage of their training.

The values and the heritage of workmanship are highly prized at Graff Diamonds. Apprentices have the chance to work with the traditional goldsmithing tools that have remained unaltered for hundreds of years, along with the very latest in technological equipment, such as computerised design technology and laser soldering machines.

And although these high-tech machines will never be able to replace the artistic skills and steady hands of a craftsman, they do help to refine some of the many processes involved in creating a spectacular piece of jewellery.

‘Learning how to be a craftsman at Graff Diamonds is like opening a book of secrets,’ says one jeweller. ‘There are skills and techniques that apprentices learn at the benches that you won’t be able to learn anywhere else.’

Many of these skills have stayed unchanged for so many years that they would be familiar to the Goldsmiths Company apprentices of 300 years ago: the exacting work of putting together a delicate metal skeleton, then selecting and setting scores of the finest diamonds within it.

‘Taking on apprentices ensures that these skills are carried on for generations to come,’ says Raymond Graff. ‘Oliver is an apprentice diamond mounter here who is a second-generation craftsman – his father is the workshop foreman and they work side-by-side, transferring the skills from one generation to the next.’ For Oliver, this means that not only can he learn from his father, but he also has the opportunity to develop his own unique style and skills: ‘I have always been interested in engineering, which is involved in the job of a mounter,’ he explains. ‘It’s about working out how to link stones together, to create movement and solve challenges such as how to make a hidden spring for a secret watch.’

A Graff craftsman never stops training.

Within the diamond setting room the microscope, used for the painstaking setting of very small precious stones, is linked to a large video screen.

master skill Graff’s apprentice polisher trains under the watchful eye of his master, top left. Innovative new tools such as computer-aided design are included in the curriculum, bottom left. An apprentice mounter trains for five years, working first on silver then precious metals that form the framework of Graff jewellery, such as white gold and platinum, above

This enables the other setters to view particularly delicate work close-up and learn from the very best. ‘We don’t teach our apprentices to be diamond setters,’ says Raymond Graff. ‘We teach them to be fantastic diamond setters.’

In the polishing room there are four craftsmen with more than 100 years of experience between them, which they are now passing on to their young apprentice, George. ‘With all trainees we give guidance, but it is just as important that each apprentice develops their own style and flair,’ says George’s master. ‘We regard it as an honour to pass on the art of the trade.’

‘There are master craftsmen around me every day, some who have spent more than 30 years at Graff perfecting what they do. The work they produce is incredible, it’s really inspiring,’ says George. ‘My ambition is to be a master of my trade. After that you never know what the possibilities are.’

Many craftsmen who have learned their skills elsewhere join Graff and quickly realise that the level of skill employed within these workshops demands them to re-learn many techniques. Indeed, every new craftsman, even those with many years of experience elsewhere, have to train for a minimum of six months when they join the company to learn the ‘Graff way’: the styles, skills and ways of working that make the Graff brand unique.

For the apprentices, it is the chance of a lifetime to work with the world’s finest precious stones and create extraordinary pieces that few others are able to do. ‘Its impressive to walk past the store windows of Graff and see the rare stones and amazing jewellery and know it has been made by our workshop,’ says Oliver. ‘Not many people have the chance to make pieces like that. I look forward to walking past the window and seeing something I have made; that will be very satisfying.’

Most importantly, the young apprentices who are able to thrive in such an exacting work environment are those that have a real passion for their craft. ‘You can’t make beautiful things if you hate coming to work in the morning,’ says Raymond Graff. ‘You have to love it. You have to have the passion for creating works of beauty.’

AUTUMNAL AFFINITY Nature’s treasures are bouNtifully embellished with exquisite craftsmaNship aNd opuleNt gems photography Graeme Montgomery | styliNg Annette Masterman

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Round diamond medallion necklace with a 29.13ct round yellow diamond centre (Diamonds 98.25cts) 35.03ct Emerald cut D Flawless diamond ring with tapered baguette diamond shoulders.

23.55ct Cushion cut D Internally Flawless diamond ring with heart shape diamond shoulders.

30.88ct Round D Flawless diamond ring with tapered baguette diamond shoulders Multishape yellow and white diamond earrings (Diamonds 28.73cts) Round and pear shape diamond and oval pink sapphire Scroll Motif necklace (Diamonds 38.93cts; Sapphires 18.81cts) Round and marquise diamond Swan ring with a 10.87ct cushion cut diamond centre (Diamonds 17.08cts) Pear shape and marquise pink and yellow diamond abstract ring (Diamonds 14.12cts).

Pear shape pink and white diamond abstract ring (Diamonds 17.46cts) Photographer’s assistant Ben Harrison Stylist’s assistant Samara Tompsett Retouching Elizabeth Derby

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PURE ESSENCE AromAtherApy AssociAtes’ luxurious products And treAtments Are A true therApeutic experience photoGrAphy Tif Hunter | Words Lucy Teasdale

romatherapy has been recognised for harnessing the healing powers of natural plant extracts ever since Queen Cleopatra anointed herself with essential oils for medicinal healing. Today, at the forefront of the use of aromatherapy for luxurious treatments, rituals and products, are Aromatherapy Associates, who have shared their passion for essential oils for almost 30 years.

When co-founders Geraldine Howard and Sue Beechey founded the company in 1985, they believed passionately in the powers of aromatherapy.

Their experience as therapists showed them that essential oils are highly effective at enhancing our physical, mental and emotional well-being.

Aromatherapy Associates’ raw materials are native to some of the most wild and remote places in the world and, in order to ensure ingredients are grown to the highest degrees of purity and ethical standards, they work closely with the farmers who produce them. The luxurious products use base ingredients that offer the best of nature’s bounty such as jojoba, which originated in Southern California; evening primrose, originally used by the North American Indians; Arctic strawberry seed oil from the

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unspoilt Arctic wilderness; and murumuru butter from plant seeds found in the Amazon River basin.

Aromatherapy Associates believe strongly in helping to preserve the natural habitat and promoting local economic growth.

As the company has continued to grow, Aromatherapy Associates’ award-winning products are now used at exclusive hotels and spas in over 30 countries, including The Delaire Graff Spa in Stellenbosch, South Africa. Taffryn Kinsey, Delaire’s Spa Director, has been a fan of Aromatherapy Associates for years. ‘Being essential oil-based, the products are as close to nature as possible, creating a truly aromatherapeutic experience.

Because the product is so natural, the treatment benefits are amazing and I have only ever had clients comment positively on their experience.’

By imparting their knowledge and skills, Aromatherapy Associates have created signature treatments that aim to restore health and vitality, and the brand name has become a byword for excellence in aromatherapy. delaire.co.za | aromatherapyassociates.com

Queen Cleopatra anointed herself with essential oils for mediCinal healing

the essentials A selection of Aromatherapy Associates products that are popular at the Delaire Graff Spa in South Africa

L O D G E S & S PA Tel: +27 (0)21 885 8160 路 Email: reservations@delaire.co.za HELSHOOGTE PASS, STELLENBOSCH, SOUTH AFRICA www.delaire.co.za

SEASON OF BEAUTY in an enchanted estate, graceful grandeur and languorous elegance are made radiant by the brilliance and fire of wondrous jewels PhotograPhy Matthew Shave | styling Michelle Duguid

Emerald cut yellow and white diamond earrings (Diamonds 14.54cts). Multishape yellow and white diamond necklace (Diamonds 116.41cts). Multishape yellow and white diamond bracelet (Diamonds 17.68cts). 36.23ct Emerald cut Fancy Intense Yellow diamond ring set with white trilliant cut diamond shoulders.

Dress by Marchesa Multishape diamond earrings set with pear shape brown diamonds (Diamonds 17.02cts). Multishape diamond necklace set with a 20.21ct pear shape brown diamond (Diamonds 69.35cts). 16.76ct Marquise brown diamond ring set with white baguette diamond shoulders. Round diamond wave bracelet (Diamonds 50.26cts).

Dress by Luisa Beccaria Round and pear shape diamond Scroll Motif earrings (Diamonds 16.65cts). Multishape diamond Scroll Motif necklace (Diamonds 65.75cts).

Jacket and bodice by Nicholas Oakwell Round and pear shape diamond Sautoir Collection earrings (Diamonds 6.01cts). Round diamond and sapphire Sautoir Collection bracelet (Diamonds 19.50cts, Sapphires 4.41cts). Round diamond and sapphire Sautoir Collection necklace (Diamonds 49.88cts, Sapphires 28.57cts).

22.10ct D Flawless round diamond ring set with pear shape diamond shoulders.

Dress by Ralph & Russo 35.26ct Emerald cut sapphire ring set with trilliant cut diamond shoulders. Emerald cut sapphire and baguette diamond bracelet (Sapphires 94.06cts, Diamonds 5.34cts).

Coat by Hockley Pear shape and round diamond earrings (Diamonds 53.41cts).

Round and pear shape diamond necklace (Diamonds 147.71cts).

Coat by Hockley.

Dress by Emilia Wickstead

Multishape diamond and ruby Butterfly Motif earrings (Diamonds 22.08cts, Rubies 15.66cts).

Multishape diamond and ruby Butterfly Motif necklace (Diamonds 35.37cts, Rubies 13.57cts). Round diamond bracelet (Diamonds 96.31cts). 22.10ct D Flawless round diamond ring with pear shape diamond shoulders.

Coat by Hockley.

Dress by Alessandra Rich Round diamond drop earrings (Diamonds 12.05cts). Pear shape and round diamond necklace (Diamonds 95.69cts). 20.42ct Pear shape diamond ring set with tapered baguette diamond shoulders. Round diamond bracelet (Diamonds 30.02cts).

Dress by Jasper Conran Ruby and diamond tassel earrings (Rubies 73.24cts, Diamonds 19.18cts). Ruby and diamond tassel necklace (Rubies 273.82cts, Diamonds 134.72cts).

26.37ct Cabochon ruby ring set with trilliant cut diamond shoulders.

Dress by Nicholas Oakwell.

Belt by Alessandra Rich Multishape emerald and diamond earrings (Emeralds 40.32cts, Diamonds 27.61cts). Carved emerald and round and pear shape diamond double brooch (Emeralds 146.65cts, Diamonds 42.92cts). Emerald cut emerald and diamond bracelet (Emeralds 30.75cts, Diamonds 24.64cts). 41.83ct Emerald cut emerald ring set with trilliant cut and round diamonds.

Wrap by Ana Konder.

Dress by Fitriani Set design Matt Duddleston Photographer’s assistants Jo O’Hanlon, Chantelle King Stylist’s assistant Grace Joel Hair Peter Beckett Make-up Kirstin Piggott Make-up assistant Philly Piggott Nails Lucie Pickavance Model Adriane at Select Retouching Mark Arnold Wildlife Amazing Animals, Animal Actors

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venerable vintage stellenbosch’s delaire graff estate unveils the new world-class laurence graff reserve PhotograPhY Micky Hoyle | words Neil Pendock

he Winelands of the Western Cape form a triangle of terroir at the southernmost tip of the African continent. The three vertices are Lutzville on the northwest coast at the mouth of the Olifants River; Agulhas down south where the Atlantic meets the Indian Ocean; and Knysna in the east.

The centre of gravity is Stellenbosch, the second oldest town in the country named after Governor Simon van der Stel who kick-started the South African wine industry almost four centuries ago. The vine was brought to the Cape from Europe by Simon’s predecessor Jan van Riebeeck, who pressed the first vintage in 1659 from Muscat grapes, to make South Africa’s first white wine.

The 2009 vintage has turned out to be the best of the millennium so far, a favourable omen for the maiden vintage of the Laurence Graff Cabernet 2009, grown on vineyards on the slopes of Simon’s mountainous namesake, the Simonsberg.

Laurence Graff purchased this jewel of an estate in 2003, vowing to transform it into South Africa’s most desirable art, hospitality and wine destination – something he has achieved in spectacular fashion within the decade.

Stellenbosch is a blend of mountain and maritime terroirs, given the locations of vineyards on various mountains and the proximity of the cooling Atlantic Ocean, which provides a natural air conditioning system essential for quality in February, when temperatures can top 40°C. Delaire Graff Estate vineyards, located in the beautiful Banghoek Valley, are predominantly mountainous in character, which translates into flavour intensity, as steeply sloping vineyards struggle to ripen fruit. Banghoek Cabernets lack

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the tomato vegetal character of more maritime regions and Delaire Graff Estate winemaker Morné Vrey also identifies a longer hang time – harvest is up to two weeks later than other parts of Stellenbosch – as the crucial factor for quality.

If prices realised at the annual Cape Winemakers Guild auction are any measure, the finest SA Cabernets hail from Stellenbosch. It was always Morné’s belief and ambition to explore Delaire Graff Estate’s terroir and one day make a truly world-class claret. After tasting through 20 barrels of Cabernet from the 2009 vintage, 16 months after harvest, the best five barrels were then identified and set aside for a further four months ageing, making this wine a reserve bottling of the Delaire Cabernet Sauvignon vintage. They were then blended with 8 per cent Petit Verdot to stiffen the mid-palate and enhance palate weight and oral texture; 1,370 bottles were produced, and appropriately named the Laurence Graff Reserve.

On the nose, freshness and spice, vanilla pod, dark chocolate and hay aromas develop after vigorous agitation. Silky and smooth on entry, the wine unsheathes a flinty minerality with subtle tannins and huge length and persistence.

The flavour profile is dominated by tangy, ripe (almost over-ripe) and dusty red berries together with brambles and cassis – classical Cabernet flavours expected in a top-quality claret. Flavour intensity and depth indicates the wine will be particularly enjoyed paired with game and fowl.

This wine will give years of pleasure to hedonists willing to postpone gratification for a decade. In this case, it may prove very difficult to resist, but will be worth the wait.

Delaire Graff Estate, Stellenbosch, South Africa (tel +27 (0)21 8858160; www.delaire.co.za)

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BY THE HOUR GRAFF’S wAtch collectionS - technicAl, SpoRt, dReSS And jewelleRy - coMBine eXQUiSite jewelS, SUMptUoUS detAilS And MASteRFUl cRAFtSMAnShip in peRFect hARMony, wRiteS SIMON DE BURTON photoGRAphy Ted Humble-Smith | StylinG Johanne Mills

MASteRGRAFF diAMond toURBillon Graff’s rose gold edition set with 351 diamonds takes the noble complication to an entirely new level. The exquisite tourbillon carriage is shown through an aperture in the dial where it serves both as an animated object of beauty and as a practical, 60-second indicator.

Just 20 examples of the watch will be made. ‘MasterGraff Tourbillon 47mm’ in rose gold set with diamonds (Diamonds 32.01cts); rose gold and black fountain pen set with a 1.3ct rose cut black diamond; rose gold love knot cufflinks, all by Graff. Suit by Thom Sweeney. Shirt

by Hilditch & Key. Tie by E. Tautz. iPad case by Aspinal of London

ScUBAGRAFF (neXt pAGe) The ScubaGraff has proved itself to be both a highly attractive wristwatch and a functional piece of diving equipment thanks to its 300m water resistance, decompression valve and 30-minute countdown timer. This edition of the ScubaGraff also features a high fire enamelled back decorated with an octopus motif.

‘ScubaGraff 47mm’ in rose gold with a black crocodile strap; Princess cut sapphire cufflinks set in white gold (Sapphires 4.75cts), all by Graff.

Jacket by Thom Sweeney. Shirt by Hilditch & Key. Pocket square by Gieves & Hawkes. M9 Camera by Leica

chRonoGRAFF 42MM (neXt pAGe) The classic ChronoGraff in a 42mm case is just three millimetres smaller than its original stablemate, yet no less imposing. A watch for wearing for work and rest as well as play, the 42mm ChronoGraff is available in a dazzling combination of materials and diamond settings, all with a self-winding movement with full chronograph functionality and date indicator at the five o’clock position.

‘ChronoGraff 42mm DLC’ on a white rubber strap; Round diamond eternity ring (Diamonds 7.32cts), both by Graff. Dress by Maria Grachvogel. Ultravid binoculars by Leica

GraffStar 38MM (previouS paGe) A new take on the lady’s dress watch, this 38mm version of the GraffStar features an elegant, rose gold case which encloses a unique black mother-of-pearl dial marked with four large diamond studded numerals. This elegant dial is available in a series of different designs including white, pink or blue mother-of-pearl and fully diamond set. Fitted with a practical quartz movement, the GraffStar 38mm features a simple hours and minutes display and is water-resistant to 3ATM. ‘GraffStar 38mm’ in rose gold with a black mother-of-pearl dial and pavé diamond numerals on a black crocodile strap; Round diamond Bombé ring (Diamonds 22.87cts), both by Graff. Dress by Amanda Wakeley

GraffStar Grand date 45MM (previouS paGe) One of Graff’s most exciting new creations of 2012, the GraffStar Grand Date 45mm is pavéd with no fewer than 347 baguette diamonds weighing 25.5 carats. Fifteen bespoke-cut emeralds and a line of rubies serve as the ‘high’ and ‘low’ segments on the 50-hour power reserve indicator. Just 15 examples of this watch will be available worldwide. ‘GraffStar Grand Date 45mm’ in white gold set with diamonds on a black crocodile strap (Diamonds 34.5cts); 5.60ct Round diamond ring; Trilliant cut diamond shirt studs (Diamonds 6.50cts); Multishape diamond cufflinks (Diamonds 5.92cts), all by Graff. Jacket by Ede & Ravenscroft. Dress shirt by Gieves & Hawkes. Bow tie by Hilditch & Key

BaBy Swan

Photographer’s assistants Thea Baddiley, Crusoe Weston Nails Marie-Isabel Models Nina Taylor, Stuart Gee at Hired Hands

Last year’s remarkable and unique Swan watch appears to have produced a cygnet. The Baby Swan features a delicate diamond wing which slides gracefully upwards to reveal a cleverly hidden dial. The backdrop of round, brilliant cut diamonds which form the intricately cut bracelet evokes the image of a crystal-clear lake on which the swan appears to float. This petite, white gold watch features 71 hand-set diamonds weighing a total of 20 carats.

‘Baby Swan’ watch set with round and marquise diamonds (Diamonds 20.43cts); 4.98ct Fancy Orange Pink pear shape diamond ring with white pear shape diamond shoulders on a pink pavé diamond band, both by Graff. Dress by Suzie Turner

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GIFT OF HOPE The FaceT FoundaTion is helping disadvanTaged people in lesoTho and BoTswana Turn Their lives around in innovaTive and promising ways words Maria Yacoob

ife is tough for the men of Lesotho. The combination of poverty and HIV/AIDS gives this sub-Saharan country the fourth highest death rate in the world.

And with unemployment at almost 50 per cent, prospects of providing for a family are thin on the ground.

It’s common to meet hopeless and aimless young men, eyes downcast, who are unable to speak clearly or express their thoughts. So when 26-year-old Bongane, a graduate of the FACETfunded Help Lesotho Youth Development Programme, looks you straight in the eye to tell you, ‘Today, I am a new person,’ it’s obvious his outlook is different.

It was not always so. Bongane started drinking in high school due to peer pressure and alcohol soon took over his life. ‘I knew I was in the wrong,’ he admits. ‘But I thought it wasn’t a big deal because a lot of kids drank.’

Bongane just managed to graduate from high school, but continued drinking more heavily, disappearing from home for days at a time. ‘My father got angry and eventually became violent.

He thought beating me would make me stop, but it made me angrier. When he realised it wasn’t

L

working he turned on my mother. He blamed her for my drinking, saying she was a terrible mother and wife. I couldn’t take it. I left.’

But his new life of petty crime to fund his drinking habit was even worse. When a drinking buddy suggested an armed robbery on a house, Bongane knew something had to change. Moving in with his brother-in-law, his family still thought he was a lost cause. Then he signed up for Help Lesotho’s Youth Development Programme at the Graff Leadership Centre in Leribe.

‘I thought it was a job. When I realised it wasn’t, I thought I’d just stay for the first day and never come back. In that day we heard inspiring talks about how we have potential to make changes and take control of our future.’ But it was testimonies from past graduates of the programme that persuaded Bongane to stay. ‘You could see the transformation in their eyes. They were happy.

I wanted to be like that, so I stayed.’

Over the next three months Bongane went to the GLC three times a week, with 55 other young men and women, to participate in workshops, debates and reflection exercises covering topics such as self-esteem, goal-setting, communication skills, pre-employment training and HIV/AIDS. After completing the programme, Bongane did six weeks’ community work. He is now working as a volunteer at the GLC library, and is looking to fulfil his ambition to become a police officer.

‘The Youth Development Programme showed me I was living under a cloud of fear, hate and self-loathing. I’ve since come out the other side and seeing with fresh eyes. I want to thank Mr Graff for his generosity because I would not be the new person I am today without these helping hands.’

For the older generation of Lesotho’s women, it’s a different, if equally difficult story.

When 63-year-old Nkhono Mafiloe married happily as a teenager, she had no idea how HIV would cast its dark shadow over her life. The disease took her husband, and two of her six children. She was left, in a rural village, with the sole care of 10 orphaned grandchildren, aged between three and 14.

Her love for the children was paralysed by her overwhelming feelings of responsibility and panic that she couldn’t manage the task. ‘The children were so sad, and I did not know how to help them because I too was sad.’

Mafiloe was isolated, geographically and emotionally. All 11 members of the family lived in a small one-room hut, sharing two mattresses.

Food was scarce and Mafiloe often went hungry so the youngest could eat.

She didn’t understand that AIDS had killed her loved ones, couldn’t help her grandchildren to grieve for their parents, and had no time to deal with her own feelings of loss. Her plight led the local

Chief to put forward Mafiloe’s name to Help Lesotho at FACET’s Graff Leadership Centre in Leribe. They offered her a place on their Grandmother Programme. At last, the help she craved came.

The monthly Grandmother meetings at the GLC help Mafiloe to learn about HIV, to care for the sick and educate her grandchildren, as well as emotionally support them. Here she meets women in similar situations with whom she can share her worries and lend encouraging words.

And the support doesn’t stop when Mafiloe leaves the GLC. Food parcels, shoes and blankets have all been forthcoming. And she has received assistance to build a keyhole garden, which is specially constructed to give up to 10 times the yield of a normal garden. It allows her to grow food to sustain her whole family.

‘Before I started the programme, I worried if my grandchildren would have a future at all,’ confides Mafiloe. ‘But now we all help each other.

My grandchildren help me with the garden, and with everything. And I am able to listen to them and let them grieve for their parents.’

Grandmothers are the unsung heroes of Lesotho. But Mafiloe feels she’s the lucky one, because the FACET-funded Grandmother Programme found her. ‘I am so blessed to be part of this programme.’

Meanwhile, at the Graff Leadership Centre in Moduchi, Botswana, it is impossible not to

Bright stars 63-year-old Nkhono Mafiloe and her family, opposite page.

This man’s leadership training at the Graff Leadership Centre has allowed him the confidence and knowledge to speak to youth in local schools, left.

A GLC participant using the Graff library, below. Cousins Augustus and Tshepang in Moduchi, Botswana, bottom

The fuTure is brighT for AugusTus. he recenTly lAnded A regulAr comedy sloT on yAronA fm rAdio

Programme at the GLC. The different courses and workshops on the Finding the Leader Within programme have enabled Augustus to work through his grief and anger from losing his mother, and equipped him with practical skills from budgeting, to networking and public speaking.

‘The Leadership programme has helped to change me,’ says Augustus. ‘I used to be angry and aggressive, but now I am respectful of others and I feel motivated.’

The future is already looking bright for Augustus. He recently landed a regular half-hour comedy slot on Yarona FM radio, and he hopes to one day follow in the footsteps of his comedy hero, Trevor Noah. ‘I want to go to tertiary school, maybe to do business management. But I also want to take my talent seriously, because it will put bread on the table.’

These personal stories of helping people in need find their own way with targeted support that gives hope and dreams to all those that the FACET Foundation seeks to help – and to all those who can be guided and motivated in the future.

Giving back, to help people help themselves, is the most precious gift.

To learn more or to donate to FACET, please visit www.facet-foundation.org

notice the wide smile of Augustus Mokgadi. His infectious enthusiasm and sharp quips gain him much admiration among his colleagues on the FACET-funded Leadership Programme, run by Stepping Stones. But happiness and confidence are qualities he has only recently made his own.

Augustus’s father was not around when he was growing up, but he was well looked after by his mother. Then, when Augustus turned 15, his mother died. ‘I was hopeless. I started failing in school. It was hard without my mother because she was the one who motivated me.’

Whilst Augustus dreamed of going to tertiary college to study mechanics, he could not find the necessary sponsorship to continue his studies. With no education or job prospects in sight, he used his natural gift for comedy to start writing short stand-up routines.

Despite lacking self-belief, the Stepping Stones International team saw Augustus’s potential, and invited him to join the Leadership

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ETERNAL WONDER THE NEW INFINITY COLLECTION IS INSPIRED BY THE CELESTIAL BEAUTY AND BALANCE OF THE UNIVERSE, SET WITH A CONSTELLATION OF RARE AND RADIANT STONES WORDS Joanne Glasbey When you look upwards at a deep indigo night sky, studded with a gauze of stars, perfect points of brilliance, and shining with light from hundreds of years ago, you can sense the great expanse of limitless space. The luminous stars appear randomly placed, but those with even the slightest astronomical knowledge know the constellations are fixed in the firmament.

It is this star magic that is the inspiration for the design of Graff’s newest collection, Infinity. The beautiful stones, each individually encased in white gold, have been choreographed very carefully. Singularly perfect, the whole a map of abstract harmony, every stone is uniquely sized, set at varying heights creating an undulating scatter design. Each radiant stone – sapphire or ruby or diamond – is imperceptibly and delicately connected to its neighbours, almost echoing the mathematical symbol for infinity.

Their very lack of uniformity and symmetry makes the proportions of the earrings and necklaces in the collection so beautiful. As always, the technical achievement is of the highest quality, ensuring each piece has perfect balance, featuring great fluidity and flexibility and perfect movement, never static. The Infinity Collection is a celestial celebration of a heavenly creation.

endless beauty Round diamond and ruby Infinity Collection necklace (Diamonds 15.40cts, Rubies 11.30cts) Round diamond Infinity Collection earrings (Diamonds 14.79cts) Round diamond and sapphire Infinity Collection necklace (Diamonds 14.94cts, Sapphires 11.90cts)

A WORD WITH… Design Director Anne-evA geffroy talks about Graff’s unique desiGn process, which starts with a brainstorm of ideas and harnesses the expertise of a multi-talented team words Joanne Glasbey portrait Dan Burn-Forti

reat high jewellery design – like the most fêted ballet dancer, or a couture gown – appears effortlessly graceful, and perfect. The beauty and craftsmanship of each exquisite Graff creation is the dazzling result of a great collaboration of talent and expertise, by a team who work with their hearts as much as their minds. Each piece is imbued with the spirit – the soul – of the House of Graff, which celebrates the human connections of the journey from genesis to spectacular jewel.

The whole process begins with the design team, led by Design Director Anne-Eva Geffroy.

The focus of Graff design, originally created by Laurence Graff and passed to the design teams to take forward, has always been firmly on the stones themselves. ‘It is a classic, sleek style that has great presence, poise and balance, and there’s nothing else like it that combines this design aesthetic and this quality of stones,’ explains Geffroy.

The key word in Graff design is proportion, she says. ‘Everyone loves the shape of flowers, for example – that’s because we are all sensitive to the proportion and balance of nature. We use that equilibrium in our designs. Movement is always very important, and the wearability of the jewels – how they sit on the skin and interact with the body is a prime consideration. We want to bring the jewels to life and make sure they elegantly dance each time they are worn.’ This is achieved with another signature feature of Graff design, which is a skilful mastery of light and reflection,

G nature’s inspiration A round diamond Dragon ring protects a magnificent 11.13ct yellow diamond, above. Taking inspiration from the symmetry of nature, the delicate diamond Butterfly ring has a stunning 3.02ct marquise diamond set among an array of round and pear shape diamonds, right

allowing the eye to follow the path of light: it is guided by the carefully placed brilliance of smaller stones leading to the radiant focus of a large stone, reveals Geffroy.

At the very beginning of the design process, the design team brainstorm: ‘First we will speak about the idea, the theme – define words we want to work with. Then we create mood boards, find images, reference from everywhere – books, architecture, couture clothes, a motif we remember from travelling, a small detail we want to explore – that fit the theme. It could be organic,

from the natural world, which is a powerful Graff inspiration: flowers, animals, for example; or historic pieces, from around the world. We are aware of everything and don’t limit ourselves at this stage. We absorb ideas and share, so there is a fusion of ideas in the design team, always complementing the identity of the brand.’

The team may reference an original Graff design and reinterpret it for a more modern feel; they will research the archives and look at making similar pieces, with lines and proportions that will appeal to the tastes of women now. The designers completely understand the visual identity of the brand so they are able to move it forward and elegantly into more contemporary directions.

Next, the designers will make numerous sketches. ‘You draw and draw,’ says Geffroy.

‘You find that your hand, not your brain, gives you another idea – it’s as much about feelings, too. You let your hand go. The wonderful thing about working at Graff is that there are so many stones here; that means we have an opportunity to draw what we want, within the spirit of the brand.’ The team will sometimes use a computer to help design, but only for speed, as they draw by hand 90 per cent of the time. At times the stones dictate the entire fabrication process; at others, the design will require stones to be specifically sourced, and different work approaches are applied to each process.

The next important part of the design is technical input. ‘Most of the time we work in 2D, and the workshop in 3D. We exchange with the craftsmen and discuss the realisation of each design.’

Graff jewellery is held in particularly high esteem for its fluidity and movement. There are so many options and technical choices, and the designers are always in dialogue with the craftsmen about how to perfect a special design feature. The workshop will also advise designers on the most recent innovations to help arrive at a spectacular solution. Another feature of Graff’s extraordinary jewels is the use of metals: only the highest quality platinum, white and rose gold is used. ‘For Graff, the key part is the stone. We are very strict that settings should be as slim and as feminine as possible,’ observes Geffroy.

The tiniest details matter as much to Graff as the grandest: the backs of jewellery pieces are as important as the front – otherwise, laughs Geffroy, ‘it’s like having the most beautiful sitting room and sweeping all the dust under the carpet!’

Often unique patterns will decorate the back, and particularly on the clasp, providing an extra touch of luxury.

High jewellery of truly magnificent design and innovative craftsmanship, made with heart and soul: the embodiment of a Graff jewel and the very definition of art.

movement and grace Intricate swirls and scrolls of stunning gems, the Scroll Motif necklace features richly coloured sapphires and dazzling diamonds, totalling 258.56cts in all, creating a one-of-a-kind necklace, left. Multishape yellow and white diamond Scroll Motif earrings, 26.87cts of diamonds in all, display fluidity and movement, below. Adorned with carefully selected diamonds and sapphires, the iconic cuff features 81.09cts of multishape gemstones with an organic inspiration, bottom

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GRAFF stoRes woRldwide EUROPE United Kingdom 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 France courchevel Rue du Rocher 73120 Courchevel 1850 Tel: +33 479 24 59 12 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 33 744 9700 The Alpina Gstaad Alpinastrasse 23 CH 3780 Gstaad Tel: +41 33 744 7480 rUSSia moscow Tretiakovsky Proezd, 6 109012 Moscow Tel: +7 495 933 3385 Luxury Village Barvikha 143083 Moscow Tel: +7 495 933 3385

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

TSUM department store 2 ul. Petrovka 125009 Moscow Tel: +7 495 933 3399

Las Vegas Wynn Las Vegas 3131 Las Vegas Blvd South Las Vegas Nevada 89109 Tel: +1 702 940 1000

UKraine Kiev 12/2/3 Gorodetskogo Street 01001 Kiev Tel: +38 044 278 7557

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

Graff, China The new Graff Diamonds store at The Ritz-Carlton in Hong Kong overlooks the iconic city from the 103rd floor, making it the highest jewellery store in the world, above left. The recently-opened Graff Macau store at the Wynn Hotel further adds to the company’s list of global boutiques, above

in selected SaKS stores: SAKS 5th Avenue, New York Beverly Hills, California Naples, Florida Tyson’s Corner, Virginia

Hangzhou Hubin International Mall 19-1 Hubin Road Hangzhou Tel: +86 571 8708 2281

IFC Pudong Shop L1-36 Phase II, Shanghai IFC 8 Century Avenue Shanghai 200120

AFRICA

Hong Kong The Peninsula Hong Kong Salisbury Road Kowloon Hong Kong SAR Tel: +852 2735 7666

Shenyang Jolie No 211, Qingian Street Shenyang, PRC China 110015

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

The Ritz Carlton Hong Kong Level 103 International Commerce Centre 1 Austin Road West, Kowloon Hong Kong Tel: +852 3125 1570 macau Wynn Macau Shop No.1 Rue Cidade de Sintra Nape, Macau Tel: +853 2878 3077 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 Isetan Shinjuku 14-1 Shinjuku 3-chome Tokyo 160-0022 Tel: +81 3 6457 8633 taiwan taipei The Grand Formosa Regent Taipei 2nd Floor 41 Chung Shan North Road Section 2 Taipei Tel: +886 2 2511 5865