The reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on 8 December 2024 was set to be dramatic. Add South African-born soprano Pretty Yende singing Amazing Grace, accompanied by the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France under the baton of Gustavo Dudamel, and attendees had sensation guaranteed.
The international opera star and Dior ambassador wore haute couture dreamed up by the House, accessorised with a white diamond high-jewellery necklace and earrings (110 carats) crafted in Graff’s London atelier. The extraordinary jewels demonstrated the peerless artisanship and incomparable rarity Graff jewels are known for worldwide.
Yende’s performance marked the start of an eight-day celebration up to 15 December 2024, after five years of restoration and a monumental effort by interested parties. Weekly concerts on Tuesdays and numerous events will continue until Pentecost in June 2025, offering an opportunity for visitors to rediscover Notre Dame’s fresh light as well as its blonde stone and bronze liturgical furnishings. It has been a place of faith, inspiration and peace for over eight centuries.
Yende, who made her professional debut as Micaela in Carmen at the Latvian National Theatre in 2010, previously appeared in a Graff Fancy Yellow high jewellery set of over 170 carats at the Coronation of King Charles III and the Queen Consort at Westminster Abbey in London in 2023.
Founded by Laurence Graff OBE in 1960, Graff is a family-run business led by CEO Francois Graff, with every jewel meticulously overseen by the family. The brand has grown from its UK roots to a global presence with over 70 stores. Renowned as a leader in extraordinary diamonds, Graff’s legacy includes cutting and polishing some of the world’s most significant stones, such as the 302.37-carat Graff Lesedi La Rona, the Graff Venus, and the Graff Pink.
