50th Anniversary of the GRAFF Butterfly
2025 marks the 50th anniversary of the Graff Butterfly – an iconic, endlessly evolving silhouette synonymous with the House of Graff.
Since the very first iteration of Graff’s Butterfly in 1975 – in elegant, pared-back diamond pendants – through to a diamond brooch depicting the ethereal creature in the moment it lands, resting atop the 2013 recreation of the iconic ‘Hair and Jewel’ shoot, to a reminder of the precious nature of time in myriad Butterfly timepiece designs, this remarkable motif has continued to metamorphose.
Every Butterfly is designed and crafted in such a way that their wings are held aloft in mid-flight, a fleeting moment from the natural world, captured for eternity in diamonds. Today, the Graff Butterfly is universally recognised as a symbol of transformation, empowerment, freedom and beauty – inspiring a new generation of jewellery connoisseurs and collectors.
In celebration of this milestone, a new campaign featuring a collection of Butterfly high jewellery designs will launch on 20th March 2025 – the northern hemisphere’s first day of spring. Handcrafted at Graff’s atelier in Mayfair, London, a striking new high jewellery necklace features a voluminous, curved arc of 57.13 carats of snow-set pavé emeralds, which encircle the neckline with a bold intensity and depth of colour. A single 5.04 carat emerald cut diamond is positioned at the centre of the piece, from which a kaleidoscope of butterflies radiates outwards.
A further creation features magnificent butterflies with snow-set pavé wings and oval stones at their centres, set at varying angles upon an elegant line of pavé diamonds, creating the illusion that the butterflies flit and glide charmingly around the neckline, culminating in a pear shape diamond drop. A bracelet replicates these same design codes with a fine snow-set pavé diamond line set with five artfully arranged butterflies. High jewellery earrings complete the suite, as two diamond butterflies are adorned with perfectly matched pear shape diamond drops.
In a third suite, an exquisite, single line of butterflies created from pear shape and marquise diamonds graduate in size and form as they trace the length of a sweeping arc of snow-set pavé stones within a high jewellery necklace. A 5.02 carat emerald cut diamond is placed at the heart of the piece, from which further butterflies float and flutter downwards. Graff’s master artisans carefully set and angled the wings of each butterfly to reflect and emit maximum light, ensuring striking impact within an almost imperceptible white gold setting.
Francois Graff, Chief Executive Officer at Graff, comments: “In many ways, the evolution of the Graff Butterfly embodies the ethos of Graff. We transform, reimagine and redefine what is possible across every aspect of the jewellery-making process in a relentless pursuit of perfection to create magnificent treasures – the most fabulous jewels in the world. We are proud to celebrate this momentous milestone, which exemplifies our standing as the original creators of diamond history.”
Anne-Eva Geffroy, Design Director at Graff, adds: “Jewellery creations inspired by the Graff Butterfly harness the exquisite beauty of one of nature’s most captivating creatures – a silhouette that continues to excite our imaginations and spark our creativity. Every jewellery piece is designed and crafted to inspire the wearer, an ever-present reminder of their opportunity for transformation and ability to fly.”
Since its launch in 1975, the Graff Butterfly has evolved to include interpretations such as Silhouette and Pavé, which are, together with striking high jewellery creations, set with the finest Graff diamonds. Believed by many cultures to be the bearer of good fortune, the butterfly is rich in symbolic meaning; its lifecycle representative of transformation and its fleeting beauty emblematic of the ever-changing natural world around us.
The high jewellery creations will feature in a new Graff Butterfly campaign, photographed by Felix Cooper in London, launching on the 20th March 2025.
