Issue link: https://www.balharbourdigital.com/i/1078587
64 BAL HARBOUR THE ART OF INSPIRATION Laurence Graff invokes his prized private art collection for his high jewelry brand's new Cy Twombly-inspired collection. Shannon Adducci catches up with the octogenarian legend. IS JEWELRY ART? IT'S A QUESTION that has confounded the art world and the jewelry industry for decades. The former tends to brush off jewelry designers as lesser artists, while the latter often focuses more on the intrinsic value of the gold, diamonds and other materials that may comprise a piece of jewelry than on the value of design alone. But, as major art shows, auction records and important private sales have proven, both have major investment potential. Laurence Graff knows this. Since 1960, the 80-year-old has helmed Graff, which today is one of the world's top purveyors of important gemstones and high jewelry, vertically integrating its sourcing, design, manufacturing and retail operations. The founder has become especially well-known for his sourcing, paying top dollar at auctions for rare diamonds, including the Wittelsbach, a famous blue diamond with an illustrious family history. Graff purchased the stone from Christie's Geneva for a then-record-setting $23.4 million (in true jeweler fashion—and to the dismay of many—he then had the stone recut to enhance its color and clarity). Graff has played a similar role of buying maverick with