In the same year that Graff Diamonds unveiled a spectacular 'Hair & Jewel' image featuring a model wearing half a billion dollars of diamonds in her hair (read more here), the international diamond jeweller has launched a collection of sparkling Alice bands, tapping into the trend for jewels worn in your hair.
Hair adornments have never been more popular at Graff, which has prompted the diamond jeweller to create a unique setting for its brooches, alongside its new collection of Alice bands, that transforms them into jewels for the hair. Add to that Graff's collection of exquisite diamond tiaras, which it has been creating since 1970, including extraordinary and contemporary pieces for queens, princesses and the wives of heads of state, and you have the most diverse range of diamond hair jewels in the world.
Francois Graff, Chief Executive Officer at Graff Diamonds, sees its diamond Alice bands as a natural progression from tiaras: "Over the last five years we have recorded a significant increase in the demand for our diamond tiaras from our clientele globally," he says. "Our latest collection, which features a number of highly unique and contemporary designs, is an extension of this." Crucially, unlike tiaras, which are reserved for only the grandest of occasions, diamond Alice bands have the wearability factor. I could certainly picture myself at a glamorous party or soirée with pretty diamond butterflies flitting through my hair.
The term 'Alice band' was coined in the 1870s, when Lewis Carroll's 'Through the Looking Glass' - the sequel to 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' - was first published. In the book illustrations, Alice was often depicted wearing a horseshoe-shaped headband. The wearing of jewels in your hair dates back much further than that, however. "Natural elements such as flowers, ribbons, feathers and precious jewels have been used by women all over world to adorn their hair since ancient times," recognises Anne-Eva Geffroy, Design Director at Graff Diamonds. "From the use of gold and gemstones in Ancient Greece to highly ornate and decorative headpieces synonymous with the Egyptian era, styles of hair adornment have evolved over the course of history, but their popularity remains."
This historic tradition of weaving natural elements into hair jewels was one of the key inspirations for Graff's collection. These modern Alice bands feature intricate floral, leaf and butterfly motifs, each carefully crafted from start to finish by Graff's Master Craftsmen at its London workshop. Another design features a single row of 39 perfect white diamonds, each of which has been skillfully positioned so that it glows with fire - a stark reminder of Graff's brilliance with diamonds.
"A delicate diamond hair jewel can transform a simple outfit, but more than that it influences the way a woman holds herself, which is something very special," recognises Anne-Eva Geffroy. There is certainly something empowering about wearing diamonds in your hair, whether it's a dragonfly, its wings gleaming with yellow diamonds, or a pretty Alice band, decorated with a dainty bow. Perhaps it's the fact that Graff's hair jewels are a break from tradition and provide an exciting new way in which to wear your diamonds. Or maybe it's because inside many woman there is a princess who has always dreamed of wearing a tiara, and diamond Alice bands and hair jewels are the perfect modern-day alternative. More likely, it's a combination of both, with the added thrill of knowing that every single diamond has been sourced, cut, polished and set by one of the world's most renowned diamond jewellers.
