Oct. 11 (Bloomberg) -- Artists including Damien Hirst, Raqib Shaw and Marc Quinn have donated paintings for an auction by London jeweler Laurence Graff that seeks to raise 800,000 pounds ($1.26 million) for Africa.

The 26-lot sale tomorrow evening is one of Christie’s International’s“Frieze Week” events in London. It will benefit FACET (For Africa’s Children Every Time). The charity was set up last year by Graff to raise money for the education, health and wellbeing of children in Africa, where Graff Diamonds, of which he is chairman, sources many of its stones.

“We want to give something back,” said Graff in an e- mailed statement. “There is such appalling poverty and hunger, yet with more help from donations the situation will begin to improve.”

The sale is one of a number staged at international auction houses to help charity. Last month, Sotheby’s held a 453,950- pound auction to benefit two charities that support orphaned and vulnerable children in Africa. The record 342.5 million euros achieved at Christie’s auction of the Yves Saint Laurent collection in Paris in February will benefit HIV research and the fight against Aids, said the London-based auction house.

Graff has provided the first lot, a pair of diamond earrings estimated at up to 80,000 pounds. The works by Hirst and others are estimated at more than 100,000 pounds each.

Newman, Jackson

Late entries into the sale include a 1964 Dennis Hopper photograph of Paul Newman, the actor, and a 2009 David LaChapelle digital print of Michael Jackson, the late singer, both of which are expected to fetch as much as 30,000 pounds.

Australian-born designer Marc Newson has entered a green plastic “Orgone” chair that is priced at 1,000 pounds to 2,000 pounds.

The event’s supporting committee includes the actor Hugh Grant; Russian art patron Dasha Zhukova; model Naomi Campbell; hedge-fund manager Arpad Busson and actress Uma Thurman.

Graff Diamonds’ showroom in New Bond Street was the scene of the U.K.’s biggest jewelry robbery when armed men stole goods valued at about 40 million pounds on Aug. 6. Eight men have been charged over the theft, police said.

(Scott Reyburn writes about the art market for Bloomberg News. Opinions expressed are his own.)

To contact the writer on the story: Scott Reyburn in London at sreyburn@hotmail.com.

Last Updated: October 10, 2009 19:00 EDT