#pink graff

[annikapettersson]

Copies of the pink graff. All 3D printed. So far 35 different once. Track the info in google doc

[eptitude]

The Graff Pink

Yesterday, British billionaire and diamond extraordinaire Laurence Graff shelled out a little more than $46 million for a 24.78 carat (0.01 pound) "fancy intense pink diamond of the purest, vibrant hue with a classic emerald-cut." Fancy intense, people! If anyone describes you or one of your possessions thusly, that must mean there's going to be $$$$ in your pocket.

Graff's is the classic rags-to-riches tale, one littered with tough patches and eventual run-ins with the likes of Elizabeth Taylor and Saudi Arabian royalty. Graff, who no doubt has a posh accent by now, is the ultimate rich man's middleman -- aside from obscenely-large diamonds, he also deals in Warhols, Basquiats, Ruschas, and other big-name art pieces.

Although I get flabbergasted when I hear of people spending millions on artwork, I'm not mystified by the practice. There's a wealth of vision in art that conveys, provokes, and shatters perception; there's a certain beauty and sadness that images, colors, and shapes capture more powerfully than words. If I had the money, my walls would be tastefully decorated with wonderful canvases, photos, and reliefs. In other words, I'd like to always be surrounded by visual drama and inspiration. And tons of good food, too, but that's another matter.

Diamonds, however, occupy a completely mysterious and somewhat superfluous realm for me. I can't possibly imagine the extended aesthetic joy that one can get from looking at a giant, dazzling gem. You polish it, cut it certain ways, and hold it up to the light; the diamond shines maybe a little, maybe a lot, but there's nothing more to come of it, aside from someone perhaps trying to shoot your hand off to steal it from you.

Granted, I was impressed by this video of the newly-renamed Graff Pink. It's a pretty thing, and I was momentarily mesmerized by its seemingly never-ending sparkle... But so what? I get short, stupid bouts of longing for glittering things like sequin dresses and Tiffany necklaces all the time. Shiny is not the same as truly stirring; a huge diamond's blinding glimmers only hide the one-dimensional hardness and inflexibility that all rocks have.

I really think that $46+ million can buy a lot of things more meaningful and fun than cut and clarity. And so, here's a sample "How to burn through $46 million" list (with extremely ballpark figures):

Outbid everyone else for a walk-on role on your favorite TV show: $30K

Fund research into how to rid the world of mosquitoes and fleas without upsetting the global ecosystem: $3 million

Design and build a micro-house in Tokyo: $500K

Buy a blinged-out DeLorean with supposed time travel abilities: $200K

Build a new school in Africa, India, and China: $60K

Give out 1000 microfinance loans (and in the process earn the love of studmuffin Muhammad Yunus): $50K

Have a new college library or science building constructed in your or your dog's name: $15 million

Buy a new wardrobe: $100K

Go on a 10-day ride into space or spend 4 years traveling the world in style and luxury: $20 million

Sponsor 20 children in Asia and Africa for the rest of their lives: $500K

Sign the deed to a lovely French chateau: $5 million

Fund the 2011 Nobel Prize for literature: $1.4 million

Amass a life-time supply of Toblerone chocolate, both milk and dark varieties: $30K

Discreetly acquire a life-time supply of McRibs + appropriate storage facilities to keep 'em "fresh": $115K

That comes out to $45.98 million. Save the rest for your kids' college educations. Or maybe install a personal movie theater in your house!!!