Graff Donates $1M to Fight Pandemic

RAPAPORT… Diamond jeweler Graff will contribute $1 million to help at-risk countries stem the spread of the coronavirus.

The company will give the money through its charity foundation to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, which was created by the World Health Organization (WHO). The funds will be used to provide essential medical supplies in vulnerable communities and to accelerate the development of vaccines, tests and treatments, the company said last week.

“The challenge presented by the pandemic has had a profound effect on all of us at Graff,” said Graff Foundation CEO Francois Graff. “As an international business, it has been terrible to witness the speed with which the virus has spread, and the pain and uncertainty it is causing throughout the world. The COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund is a vital tool in the global response to the virus.”

Luxury retail group Kering and its houses — including jewelry brands Boucheron, Pomellato, DoDo and Qeelin — will also donate $1 million to the fight against the coronavirus. The money, which will go to the CDC Foundation, will provide personal protective equipment for health-care workers treating COVID-19 patients across the US, the company said.

Image: A Graff store in Paris. (Graff)