For more than 80 years, the house of Harry Winston has been synonymous with the most beautiful jewels in the world, building on a heritage established by its founder – a man known as the “King of Diamonds”, and such was his passion for precious stones. An ultra-exclusive collection of pieces from Harry Winston’s Legacy diamond pays homage to the heritage of the luxury brand.
Who is the King of Diamonds? It’s a phrase bandied around frequently within the jewellery scene, often a self-titled and sometimes inaccurate moniker, laced with a hint of hubris. But one man who justifiably earned the title in the 20th century is Harry Winston, a New Yorker from modest beginnings who seismically changed the jewellery landscape.
Harry Winston’s path to success began at an early age. In 1908 aged 12 and already displaying an instinct for gems, he bought a two-carat emerald in a pawnshop for 25 cents (the owner thought it was a piece of worthless glass); two days later he sold it for $800. Working at his father’s jewellery shop until he turned 18, he noticed a gap in the market – acquiring and refashioning old estate jewellery, with out-dated settings and fusty cuts. He would melt down the pieces and recut the stones, slowly starting to build an inventory, funds, and – importantly – a brand.
Now, that legacy is being celebrated with an extraordinary new collection of high jewellery that has been in the making for three years. It is inspired by the remarkable Winston Legacy diamond, purchased by the house in 2013 and named in tribute to the company’s founder. Christie’s Auction house described the large, flawless pear shaped gem – discovered in Jwaneng Mine, Botswana, and cut and polished for nearly two years before being put on sale – as “the most perfect diamond ever on offer for sale at auction”.
The rarity, beauty and grace of the stone was the starting point for the 22 new one-off pieces, made up of 11 necklaces, seven rings and four pairs of earrings.
Each of the magnificent pieces was hand drawn by the house’s renowned designers, including the much-loved late senior designer, Maurice Galli, and hand-crafted in the workshop above Harry Winston’s Fifth Avenue Flagship Salon. They incorporate traditional aspects of Harry Winston design, while referencing the clean lines and perfect fluidity of the Winston Legacy Diamond.
The collection is unprecedented in scale and quality, and is one that will delight jewellery connoisseurs. Winston himself would have been proud of it.
The rings
There are seven dazzling rings in the Harry Winston Legacy collection, each of which features an exceptional stone, surrounded by pears, round-brilliants and marquises.
Diamond cluster ring with a pear-shaped diamond centre stone
A dazzling example of Harry Winston’s signature cluster technique, where different cuts of diamond are arranged in fluid patterns, this ring combines 46 round brilliant, pear-shaped and marquise diamonds around a flawless 9.06 carat pear-shaped diamond centre stone.
Marquise and pear-shaped diamond ring, with a pear-shaped diamond centre stone
Featuring a flawless 10.50 carat D colour internally flawless pear-shaped diamond as its centre stone, this ring also has six pear-shaped and marquise diamonds, weighing a total of 1.70 carats and set in platinum.
Diamond cluster ring with a pear-shaped diamond centre stone
Once again featuring the house’s famous clustering technique, six pear-shaped and marquise diamonds weighing a total of 1.63 carats are set in platinum around a 10.02 carat D colour internally flawless pear-shaped diamond centre stone.
Fancy shape diamond ring with a pear-shaped diamond centre stone
This captivating design features 10 round brilliant, marquise and baguette cut diamonds, weighing a total of 2.08 carats, which highlight the beauty of the central stone, a 10.03 carat D colour, internally flawless pear-shaped diamond.
Cluster diamond ring with a pear-shaped diamond centre stone
Simple yet stunning, this ring features six-pear shaped diamonds, weighing a total of 2.04 carats, arranged to accentuate the clean lines of the central stone – a 8.51 carat D colour, internally flawless pear-shaped diamond.
Diamond cluster ring with a pear-shaped diamond centre stone
Featuring eight pear-shaped and marquise diamonds, this charming ring weighing a total of 1.98 carats, set in platinum, with a 7.65 carat D colour, is sure to say ‘romance’ like no other with an internally flawless pear-shaped diamond centre stone.
Diamond cluster ring with a pear-shaped diamond centre stone
Fourteen round brilliant and pear-shaped diamonds weighing a total of 2.26 carats are set in platinum in a fluid formation, arranged meticulously so the light reflects at just the right angle. The sparkling diamonds surround a 6.22 carat D colour, internally flawless pear-shaped diamond centre stone.
The Harry Winston Legacy Collection is not only for those who love their jewels to be noticed from across the room, but also for those knowledgeable enough to appreciate diamonds so rare that it took a year and a half to source them. So have they succeeded? Can we crown Harry Winston once more the King of Diamonds? The Legacy Collection speaks for itself; the King is dead, long live the King.
