Graff unveils the record-breaking Venus diamond

published 2 November 2016

Few shapes evoke the same level of emotion and feeling as a heart. When in diamond form, it can be the ultimate gift to represent one's love; when crafted flawlessly, it also denotes the devotion and attention to detail required to create this most challenging of silhouettes.

It is this high level of skill that was needed to create Graff Diamonds' latest record-breaking creation – the Graff Venus, the largest D Flawless heart-shaped diamond in the world. It was found in the Letseng Mine in Lesotho, the birthplace of many of the house's most remarkable stones, and took a laborious 18-month process to ensure the impeccable symmetry and finish of the piece, best preserving the sought-after attributes of the type 11a stone, including its colourlessness and lack of fluorescence.

Discovered in rough form weighing 357 carats, it took months of studying combined with the instinct – and experience – of chairman Laurence Graff and the company's master craftsmen to make the decision to transform the rare gemstone. The team used state-of-the-art technology to plot the complex structures of the rough and map out a digital version of the final shape before it was expertly configured by a master cutter. Its unprecedented size made it necessary to develop special tools and new technologies to carry out the precarious process and the risk of causing fractures in the diamond was present throughout. The result preserves 118.78 carats and sparkles with the unparalleled finish expected of the company.