![]() The Paris retail outlet occupies a neoclassical château on Avenue Montaigne in the luxe Golden Triangle district of the Champs-Élysées, set among such haute couture flagships as Dior, Gucci, and Valentino. Harry Winston is famous for selling, as its motto puts it, Rare Jewels of the World. Employees aren’t permitted to enter the premises alone, nor may they leave with the keys. Following protocol, the guard then waited outside the building for the staff to arrive. The keys, which are kept off-site each night by a protective services company, were delivered as usual to Harry Winston’s security guard at 9:30 a.m. A partnership with amfAR, the Foundation for Aids research, is supporting the fight against the global Aids epidemic.Four hooded thieves were already inside Harry Winston Paris-along with $36,683,281 in well-defended jewels-when the boutique opened on October 6, 2007. The Harry Winston Brilliant Futures Charitable Programme helps disadvantaged young people achieve their potential all over the world. Philanthropy remains at the heart of the company ethos. The exhibition, entitled “The Court of Jewels”, raised large sums of money for local charities. Between 19, he took his most famous jewels – including the Hope Diamond, the Star of the East and the Jonker – on tour across America. Throughout his life, Harry Winston used his wealth and influence to support worthy causes. His legacy lives on in the company that still bears his name, which maintains salons throughout the world – from its famous headquarters on Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue to London, Paris, Tokyo and Shanghai. Harry Winston died in 1978 at the age of 82. In 1958, Winston donated the Hope Diamond to the Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, where it remains on permanent display. ![]() ![]() Originally mined in India, the heart-shaped blue diamond was a centrepiece of the crown jewels of pre-revolutionary France, before appearing in England and passing to King George IV. In 1949, Harry Winston acquired the most famous stone of all, the 45.52-carat Hope Diamond. Other acquisitions included the 726-carat Jonker, a rough stone that Winston split into 12 beautiful cut diamonds, and the unusually shaped Briolette – once the focal point of a Maharaja’s headpiece. Some came more easily than others: he had to pursue the enormous Vargas stone across three continents before completing the sale. It’s thought that one third of the world’s most famous diamonds passed through Harry Winston’s hands during his long career. His philosophy was simple but revolutionary: jewellery design should always be dictated by the gemstones themselves, rather than their settings.ĭid you know: the Vargas Diamond was originally discovered in Brazil on August 13 1938 In 1932, he was able to open Harry Winston Inc, under which brand he designed, manufactured and sold his own jewellery. Success brought both media attention and the chance to grow the business. He would then remove the stones from their outdated settings, re-cut them and set them in more contemporary styles. In 1920, Winston moved back to New York City to open his first business, the Premier Diamond Company. Relying on his extraordinary eye for fine gemstones, he began to buy up entire jewellery collections at estate sales. Winston left school at 15 to work at the family business in Los Angeles, but soon decided to strike out on his own. When he was only 12 years old, he snapped up a green stone from a bin that was labelled “junk jewellery” for 25 cents at a neighbourhood pawn shop – and two days later, sold it on for $800, as it was really a two-carat emerald. He showed a prodigious talent for jewellery. A precocious talentīorn in 1896, Harry Winston worked at his father’s jewellery shop from an early age. Today, Harry Winston’s design philosophy is perpetuated in every fine watch that bears his name. The Duchess of Windsor insisted on an introduction when visiting New York Jackie Kennedy Onassis wore a Winston engagement ring and Richard Burton purchased a flawless pear-shaped diamond for his wife, Elizabeth Taylor, which he had cut. Heads of state, royal dignitaries and movie legends were all dazzled by his creations. His innovative jewellery designs drew the 20th century’s most eminent figures to the door of his New York salon. Harry Winston lead an incredibly interesting life, find out what made him one of the world's leading jewellers and how his design philosophy is perpetuated in all of his pieces.ĭuring his life, Harry Winston was often dubbed “ King of Diamonds” and “Jeweller to the Stars” – and with good reason.
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