No. 2 Laurence Graff
Diamond dealer proves they may just be a boy’s best friend, too
A constant figure in the City & Guilds Vocational Rich List top five, the ‘king of diamonds’, Laurence Graff, has multiplied his wealth tenfold, from £157 million to an impressive £1.5 billion.
Not bad for the Eastender who ditched school at 13 to take up an apprenticeship in diamonds in Hatton Garden. Laurence branched out into buying and selling stones and by the mid-sixties his workshop was a haunt for the mega-rich.
His business is the only one of its kind in the world: combining everything from buying diamonds from miners through to polishing, cutting and retailing them. To help meet the demand, Laurence is opening a diamond industrial zone in Botswana where local craftsmen will be taught to cut and polish local stones – showing that the entrepreneur is just as eager to give something back to the industry and countries that have helped make him so rich.
Laurence took some time out to tell City & Guilds:
"To become successful, you need to have a passion and determination that can only come with knowing your vocation in life. I was a young boy when I trained, but it further instilled in me the importance of fully understanding the craft for what I do. What I learned as a young apprentice could not have been taught in any other way, and I am grateful for that. Fashions may change from year to year, but a good fundamental training will serve you well and teach you those essential qualities that carry you through your whole career."
Fancy making a bit of bling, like Laurence, for yourself? Find out about manufacturing qualifications here.