Last week, the BAJ community and representatives from luxury jewellery house Graff came together to celebrate the groundbreaking BAJ X Graff Fine Jewellery Project.

The exhibition and awards evening marked an important collaboration between industry and education, highlighting our shared commitment to nurturing aspiring creatives on their jewellery journey.

Devised for the BA (Hons) Jewellery Design and Production first-year students, this exciting project is one of many unique ways BAJ’s aspiring jewellers are honing their craft. Validated by Kingston University, the degree combines technical skills with creative development in design, theory and innovation. Taught through rigorous and fast-paced practical training, BA students explore creative and sustainable applications of both traditional and new materials and technologies.

For over half a century, Graff has operated at the very pinnacle of the high jewellery industry, discovering and crafting diamonds of brilliance and rarity, transforming the hidden wonders of the earth into spectacular pieces of jewellery that move the heart and stir the soul. Founded by Laurence Graff OBE in 1960, the company remains a family business with Francois Graff as CEO. To this day, the journey of every jewel is overseen by a member of the Graff family with passion, experience and uncompromising attention to detail at every stage.  

As part of this collaboration, Graff provided each student with a 3D printed resin of a pear shape diamond from Graff as the centrepiece for their creative exploration. The remarkable Graff pear shape 18.38 carat diamond, from which the resin print was created, is a satellite stone from the record-breaking 1,109 carat Lesedi La Rona rough diamond; the largest, highest colour, highest clarity diamond ever certified by the GIA (Gemological Institute of America) and the world’s largest square emerald cut diamond, at 302.37 carats.

The task assigned to the students was to design a Graff-inspired piece of jewellery with an imagined client in mind that would effectively showcase the inherent beauty and brilliance of the diamond. This project encouraged the students to push the boundaries of their creativity while providing them with a rare opportunity to create a piece with a magnificent Graff diamond at its core.

After extensive design development, each student hand-illustrated and rendered their final design using gouache paint, then created it digitally using computer-aided design (CAD) software. Once finalised, they submitted their CAD creations to Graff for 3D printing. Meanwhile, in the workshop at BAJ Camden, the students manufactured the metal collet in which the 18.38-carat pear-shaped diamond would sit.

Sam Sherry, Workshop General Manager at Graff, judged the students’ work on their adherence to the brief and the technical quality of their renders, paint-ups, CAD and collets. BAJ and Graff are thrilled to announce the winners: In third place was Rozana Domingos Piper, second place was Blue Twyman, and first place was Abbi Walker.

First place: Abbi Walker

Abbi explained the inspiration for creating her winning design, saying: “My design draws inspiration from the grand arches found within Monaco’s architecture. This statement, unisex necklace is also infused with the vibrant hues of a Monaco sunset.”

Second Place: Blue Twyman

Blue shared their design process, explaining “My visual research for this project is inspired by the ocean life native to Monaco. Blue Glaucus – more famously known as the Blue Dragon, captured my attention with its vibrant blue colouring, evocative of sapphires. Observing the Blue Dragon guided me to arrange the stones as I did. Pear-shaped sapphires, incrementally sized and consecutively placed keep symmetry in my design, guiding your eye towards the flawless pear-shaped Graff Diamond in the centre of the piece.”

Third place: Rozana Domingos Piper

Rozana detailed the design inspiration behind her necklace: “Surround Necklaces – architecture inspired by Casino de Monte Carlos. I created a piece that combines luxury and the essence of Monaco’s high life, which resulted in a radiant, opulent piece reflecting the glamorous lifestyle of Monaco. The Surround Necklace beautifully embodies delicate rounded forms with the brilliance of diamonds, creating a captivating and elegant piece of jewellery.”

Hollie Paxton, Year 1 Lead for BA (Hons) Jewellery Design and Production, expressed her pride: “The cohort has risen to the challenge set to them, dedicating themselves to learning new skills such as Gouache rendering and advanced CAD work. We’re incredibly proud of the work they have produced and look forward to seeing their continued growth as they progress into the second year of their degree. We extend a huge thank you to Graff for their support of the next generation of jewellers and look forward to maintaining this high-quality collaborative relationship.”

For more information about BAJ’s BA (Hons) Jewellery Design and Production programme, click here. Applications for September are now open!

For more information about Graff, please visit graff.com.