So what is the price of anonymity? “People will stare,” the jeweler once said. exhibition known as the “Court of Jewels.” Among them was a 337.10-carat sapphire that belonged to Catherine the Great that has now been reimagined for the maison’s latest high jewelry collection, along with other regal hits from the archives, from the Maharaja of Indore’s emerald necklace to Liz Taylor’s conch pearls. From 1949 to 1953 he took them on the road, showing them off in a traveling U.S. “He truly had a passion for diamonds-and for sharing them with the public.”īy 1952 Winston had the world’s second- largest collection of historic jewels, after the British royal family. “At the time he said, ‘We don’t have a king or queen, but we should have crown jewels,’ ” says the collection’s curator, Jeffrey Post. Also in the inventory: the Star of the East, the Briolette of India, and, of course, the Hope Diamond, which Winston donated to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, laying the groundwork for what is now a 10,000-piece gem and mineral collection. There were rough stones, like the one he cut into what would become the famous Taylor-Burton Diamond, and the 601-carat Lesotho, which spawned Ari’s engagement ring for Jackie. Thanks to an eye for the good stuff- legend has it that the 12-year-old Winston recognized a two-carat emerald in a pawn shop junk bin, bought it for 25 cents, and sold it for $800-he acquired some of the rarest rocks in history. Royals, movie stars, and wives of tycoons flocked to the King of Diamonds for his extravagant flair-and his treasure trove. The Taylor-Burton Diamond was a flawless, 69.42-carat, pear-shaped gemstone that Richard Burton purchased for his wife, Elizabeth Taylor, in 1966.A strict insurance policy forbade Harry Winston from showing his face in public. In 1960 Henry Winston’s salon, design studio, and archives moved to its permanent home at 718 5th Avenue in New York City, and more diamonds were in the future for Winston. The proceeds from The Court of Jewels benefited local charities. The Smithsonian later named the gallery that housed the gem after Winston.Īlso concerned about philanthropy, Winston allowed for some of his gemstones to go on tour from 1949-1953. Winston donated the diamond to the Smithsonian in 1958, and the donation helped the museum open the National Gem Collection. The Hope Diamond had been in the collections of Marie Antoinette, Louis XIV, and Lord Henry Hope. In 1948 Winston acquired both the 94.8-carat Star of the East and the rare, blue Hope Diamond, which weighed 45.52-carats. It was then that Winston was given the name “Jeweler to the Stars,” but his other moniker of “The King of Diamonds” also stands true. Winston lent diamonds to Jennifer Jones, who was attending the Academy Awards in 1944. Letting the stones determine the setting made the gems shine more brilliantly. One such piece – the Winston Cluster – became iconic and gave rise to the Lily Cluster Collection in 2010. In the 1940s, Winston introduced the technique of clustering, where the stones dictated the design instead of using the setting as inspiration. In 1938 Winston purchased a slightly larger, 726.6-carat rough, Brazilian diamond named Vargas. Once the stone arrived safely, it was cut into twelve smaller stones, the largest of which was an emerald cut diamond weighing 125.35-carats. Winston had the diamond mailed to him via regular registered mail. It was rough, uncut, and weighed 726-carats. The first Harry Winston store opened in 1932, and three years later, Winston purchased the famed Jonker diamond. Although valuable, the works were somewhat old fashioned, so Winston reworked the jewelry into more modern designs, which showcased both his creativity and craftsmanship abilities. Huntington had one of the most sought after collections of jewelry, which consisted of French pieces by Cartier and other designers. In 1926 he was able to purchase the jewelry collection of Arabella Huntington, who was the wife of a famed railroad magnate. Winston went on to start his own business in 1920, which became quite successful. Under the training of his father, Winston was able to recognize a 2-carat emerald in a pawnshop that purchased for 25 cents, and he sold for $800 two days later. Winston’s father started a small jewelry business. When it comes to diamonds, few names resonate like that of Harry Winston, who was destined to recognize fabulous jewels from an early age.īorn in 1896, Winston’s parents emigrated from Ukraine to the US.
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