Mystery of billionaire jeweller's 'vanishing' divorce case

Laurence Graff and his wife Anne Marie, both 70, were expected to split at a hearing in the High Court yesterday, triggering a payout that would have dwarfed the current divorce settlement record of £48million.

But with minutes to go, the couple apparently made an attempt to save their 47-year marriage.

The hearing was adjourned shortly before the decree nisi was due to be officially pronounced.

Details of the settlement were not given but after supporting him through his career, Mrs Graff would have been entitled to up to half her husband's £2billion fortune.

Last month the couple, who have two sons - Francois, 45, and Stephane, 43 - were still close enough to attend an art exhibition in London together.

But there was confusion over the apparent U-turn. A statement issued last night by Mr Graff said: "Mrand Mrs Graff deny that they are, or have any intention of, getting divorced."

The EastEnd jeweller's solicitor refused to comment. And the couple's spokeswoman Josie Goodbody claimed there had been no divorce proceedings. Mr Graff was last year ranked Britain's 31st richest man following the success of his firm Graff Diamonds, based in Albemarle Street.

The son of a tailor who made suits off Commercial Road and a newsagent mother, he spent his childhood in a single room in Whitechapel shared with his parents.

He left school at 14 to take up his first job cleaning lavatories, but started selling rings in London's Hatton Garden, and opened his first jewellery store in 1962.

He has sold diamonds to Elizabeth Taylor, Donald Trump, the Sultan of Brunei and royal families around the world, and made more money from valuable artworks.

Although the couple live in central London, attended by servants, they spend a lot of time in Switzerland. They also have homes in France and New York.

The British divorce settlement record of £48million was paid out in 2006 by insurance magnate John Charman to his wife of more than 20 years, Beverley. Other large settlements have included the £24million paid by Sir Paul McCartney to Heather Mills.

Formula One billionaire Bernie Ecclestone is facing divorce from his wife of almost 30 years, Slavica. Lawyers believe the settlement could be in the hundreds of millions due to the length of their relationship.