Have you ever been diamond shopping and you just don’t know where to start? Well let me introduce you to my friend Mr. Winston. He may be able to help you out a bit. 

Mr. Harry Winston was an instinctive businessman, dedicated philanthropist and passionate gemologist. A triple threat. His luxury brand, established in 1932, continues to set high standards for fine jewelry and upscale pieces. 

In 1935, Harry Winston invested in his first significant diamond — “the Jonker.” Measuring at 726-carats, the uncut rough diamond made headlines all over the world. After much deliberation on the safest way to deliver the gemstone to his headquarters in New York, Mr. Winston decided to send the diamond via regular registered mail for a whopping $0.64. Cleaving the Jonker resulted in twelve individual diamonds. The largest, an emerald cut, weighed a total of 125.35 carats. 

Harry Winston is most well-known for his unique jewelry design known as the Winston Cluster. This design maximized the brilliance of individual gemstones by letting them dictate the design instead of the metal settings they were placed in. You will continue to see this philosophy in Harry Winston creations.

Throughout his life, Mr. Winston was known as the “Jeweler to the Stars” and “King of Diamonds.” Giving credit to these titles, Harry Winston obtained the complete jewelry collection of Mrs. Evalyn Walsh McLean, an American socialite. These pieces include the 94.80-carat Star of the East, as well as the renowned Hope Diamond, a 45.52-carat rare blue diamond that King Louis XIV, Marie Antoinette, and Lord Henry Hope previously owned. Harry possessed the world’s second-largest collection of historic jewels, closely behind the British royal family.

So next time you need to send your significant other some inspiration for that special moment, just name drop “Harry Winston”.