Harry Winston in 5 Fascinating Facts

Having cut his teeth at his father’s jewellery shop from the age of 15, Harry Winston displayed an early talent for spotting spectacular jewels. In 1947, his skill had him crowned by Cosmopolitan as ‘King of Diamonds’ – a name befitting of the innate gemologist, and one by which he and his eponymous house would be forever known. Rightly so. Mr. Winston spent his career travelling the world in search of diamonds in the rough, retrieving record-breaking stones and transforming them into works of art at the hands of his unrivalled craftsmen. It is said that more than one third of the world’s most exquisite diamonds passed through his hands during his glittering tenure.

The inspiration for Mr. Winston’s most emblematic design came to him one snowy December night, when he marvelled at a holly wreath glistening with fresh snowflakes and frost. Observing how the intertwining leaves, not the branches, were the essence of the wreath’s beautiful sculpture, he was inspired to change his approach to jewellery design. Instead of their metal settings, diamonds in all their natural beauty would henceforth dictate Harry Winston designs, giving rise to an innovative new technique that clustered pear, marquise, and round-brilliant cuts together for a three-dimensional effect. Known as ‘Winston Cluster’, it cemented the natural world as a cornerstone of Harry Winston design, and remains one of the house’s most iconic and coveted collections.

Most prospective fiancé(e)s will be schooled on the four Cs of diamonds – carat, clarity, colour and cut – before buying an engagement ring, but Harry Winston goes one step further for a truly romantic gesture. Its bridal offering is defined by a fifth C – character. Knowing that stones can claim similar attributes but vary greatly in beauty and personality, Harry Winston looks beyond grading qualities to select diamonds of unique character for its exceptional bridal pieces. One of a kind, just like your beloved. No wonder, then, that Harry Winston has been behind some of the most famous engagements in history. Perhaps the most iconic of all was Jackie O’s 40 carat marquise-cut Lesotho III diamond, which had been cleaved from a magnificent 601-carat diamond on live television in 1968.