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Home , Harry Winston, Hope Diamond

A BRILLIANT LEGACY Renowned for his iconic designs and breathtaking gem collections, was a man who knew the true value of a . BY ALLISON HATA

54 A diamond is anything but just another stone. Highly coveted, precious and exceedingly rare, can take on different meanings: a symbol of status, a statement of love or a sign of purity. “Diamonds are a physical connection to [the ] other than our feet on the ground,” says Russell Shor, a senior industry analyst for the Gemologist Institute of America. “When the earth was young and there was volcanic mass seething inside—this is how diamonds were formed. Diamonds connect us to that.” One man understood this intrinsic connection and dedicated his life to bringing the world closer to the precious gem through his jewelry designs and generous gifts to national institu- tions. Known as the “king of dia- monds,” the late Harry Winston was the first American jeweler to own and cut some of the most iconic stones in history, in addi- tion to setting a new standard for jewelry that showcases a gem’s natural beauty. Born more than a century ago, the young Winston—the son of a small jewelry shop owner—demonstrated a natural instinct for examining diamonds and precious gems. In subsequent years, he cultivated this talent to become one of the most prominent diamond merchants and designers of his time. His legacy lives on through the house of Harry Winston, which pairs his classic vision with a contemporary sensi- bility to create modern pieces that still grace the red carpet today.

Opposite page: In 2010, the was unveiled in a temporary new setting designed by Harry Winston, Embracing Hope, at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History.

BESPOKE MAGAZINE FALL 2013 55 The Hope Diamond (pictured in its original setting) is one of the most-visited attractions at the .

King of Diamonds light from all angles, the clustering technique is After moving to in the 1920s, considered a signature of the house of Winston Winston made his entrance into the jewelry industry and marks one of his most important contribu- in a way that was then considered unconventional: tions to the jewelry industry. through estate sales. Opening a one-man firm, the Premier Diamond Co., Winston purchased collec- A Glittering Collection tions from prominent estate sales and handled trans- Beyond his intuitive sense of design, Winston also actions that involved exchanges of up to $1 million had a reputation for amassing some of the world’s dollars. Knowledgeable about diamonds, he also had most iconic gems through sheer resourcefulness a sharp eye for design and built a name for himself and business savvy. Beginning with the Jonker by removing from outdated settings and Diamond, a 726- stone he purchased in placing them in more contemporary styles. 1935, he collected and cut a number of rare rough He closed the doors to his first business in 1932, diamonds, including the 601-carat brown founding his eponymous company that same year. and 241-carat Taylor-Burton, which was named A true entrepreneur, he designed, manufactured after its later owners actor Richard Burton and his and sold his own jewels to oversee the entire pro- wife Elizabeth Taylor. cess from start to finish. Winston is also credited with bringing dia- A new design philosophy for Winston emerged monds to the forefront of popular culture with in the 1940s, inspired by the geometry and sim- his traveling exhibition, “The Court of Jewels,” plicity of nature. As the story goes, he returned which featured his historic pieces such as the to his Scarsdale, N.Y., home one evening to find Portuguese Diamond, which once belonged to that the holly wreath on his door was covered with 1920s “it” girl Peggy Hopkins Joyce, and the snow. He studied the wintry halo, intrigued by the Spanish Inquisition necklace that was previously individual intertwining leaves that gave the wreath owned by the Maharaja of Indore. Both of these its structure and dimension. pieces are on currently display at the Smithsonian Purchased by Harry Winston in 1948 from Back in the studio, he replicated this shape National Museum of Natural History, along with the Maharaja of Idore, the Spanish Inquisition by placing different cuts of diamonds at varying the Hazen necklace and the Blue Heart Diamond necklace became part of his “Court of Jewels” levels, and thus his one-of-a-kind technique of ring, both featuring designs created by Winston. traveling exhibition. clustering was born. A design that captures the “The Court of Jewels” exhibition toured major

56 CHIP CLARK, NATIONAL MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY

HISTORY OF THE HOPE Donated to the Smithsonian Institution by Harry Wiwton, the 45.52-carat rare has a storied past.

Before being owned and donated by one of America’s most iconic jewelers, this famous The Hazen necklace, on display at the Smithsonian, features 323 diamonds totaling 131.4 carats. diamond can trace its origins back to in the 1600s. According to the Smithsonian Institution’s curator of the National Gem and Mineral Collection, Jeffrey Post, it was

JAMES DILORETO, SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION derived from the legendary Tavernier Blue, a American cities from 1949 to 1953 to educate the rough diamond estimated to be more than public about the importance of fine gems, while 100 carats. proceeds from admission fees were donated to One of several pieces cut from the larger support philanthropic causes. stone, the Hope was brought to and At the centerpiece of the collection was the leg- sold to King Louis XIV in 1660, becoming a endary Hope Diamond, acquired by Winston in part of the . The diamond 1949 when he purchased the entire jewelry estate was stolen during the , but of Washington, D.C., socialite Evalyn Walsh resurfaced in about 20 years later, McLean. Admired for its flawless clarity, rare deep eventually ending up in the hands of a wealthy blue color and eventful timeline, the 45.52-carat banker named Henry Philip Hope. Hope Diamond has a fascinating—and reportedly It remained in the Hope family until 1901, cursed—history dating back to the 1600s that has when one of the heirs was forced to sell captured the attention of the public. it due to financial problems. After chang- “When Evelyn Walsh McLean [owned] the ing hands several times, it ended up in diamond … despite her wealth, she has bad things the collection of Evalyn Walsh McLean in happen to her—she had a son killed and her daugh- Washington, D.C. ter committed suicide,” says Jeffrey Post, curator of Harry Winston acquired the diamond the National Gem and Mineral Collection at the from the McLean estate in 1949, but not Smithsonian. “And so then the story of the curse before it became known as a totem of bad of the diamond was born. It’s a very recent addi- luck in contemporary culture. Having devel- tion to the Hope Diamond story, but nonetheless oped a reputation for being cursed, the dia- one that has become part of its allure. People are mond is now one of the most visited and drawn by the mystery, the mystique, the idea that well-known attractions at the Smithsonian this diamond might be bad luck.” Institution since Winston donated it in 1958. On display now at the Smithsonian, where “It’s always kind of interesting to think it’s been since 1958 when Winston donated it to about why it is that certain objects become the museum, the Hope is the focal point of the The Embracing Hope setting at the Smithsonian so interesting and so popular,” Post says. “I Harry Winston Gallery in the Janet Annenberg think sometimes it almost defies explana- Hooker Hall of Geology, Gems and Minerals. The tion why certain things become iconic.”

BESPOKE MAGAZINE FALL 2013 57 Cluster diamond earrings totaling 14.72 carats

Sunflower Three Stone Drop Earrings

The Lily Cluster features 46 round brilliant and marquise diamonds.

Smithsonian celebrated the 50th anniversary of the items that we would like to add to the collection. Rodriguez, a fashion consultant and contributing donation by commissioning a new setting from the “In the case of Harry Winston, there were accessories editor at InStyle Magazine who previ- house of Harry Winston, aptly named “Embracing some pieces that we were able to acquire—the ously worked for titles including Harper’s Bazaar, Hope.” Though it was only on display for a limited most important one is probably the Portuguese Lucky and Women’s Wear Daily’s accessories sec- time from 2010 to 2012, it was a historic moment: Diamond,” he continues. “It’s a 127-carat dia- tion. “[However], one of his biggest contributions This marked the first and only time the diamond mond, so it’s not something we could have ever is that he was the first jeweler to lend pieces for was placed into a setting other than its historic afforded to buy, but with these smaller diamonds the Oscars almost 70 years ago. Now every A-list Cartier design since arriving at the museum. that were seized by customs and were transferred actress in Hollywood has probably worn Harry “I think [the Hope Diamond exhibit] probably to us, we could come up with enough of those to Winston to a red carpet event at some point. It continues to be one of—if not the most—popular make the trade. Harry Winston got the value of doesn’t get much bigger than that.” exhibits in the whole Smithsonian,” Post says. “It’s the diamond, and we got this big diamond to put Since lending diamonds to Best Actress winner a big part of what draws people to the museum.” on display.” Jennifer Jones for the Academy Awards in 1944, Post also explains that Winston’s relationship his creations have graced red carpets around the with the museum extended beyond his donation Modern-Day Icon world. “The modern day red carpet jeweler has of the Hope Diamond. “There was a time in the Though he’ll forever be immortalized in museums changed so much in the last 15 years,” Rodriguez early ’60s when the customs service for the United that showcase his iconic gems, Winston has main- says. “With the rise of celebrity [news] outlets and States would transfer to the Smithsonian, to our tained a fluid presence in contemporary society social media, it has become so important to make a department, any diamonds that it was confiscating even after his death in 1978. statement on the red carpet. One of the best ways that were being smuggled into the country,” he says. “I don’t think Mr. Winston’s contribution to the to do that is with a great piece of jewelry.” “We would use those diamonds to trade for other jewelry industry can be measured,” says Amber Rodriguez notes one example from this year’s

58 RED CARPET STYLE Known in his time as a jeweler to the stars, Harry Winston and his company are an integral part of Hollywood history. S_BUKLEY/SHUTTERSTOCK

1999: 2002: 2013: Gwyneth Paltrow wears a Harry Winston Halle Berry accepts her Best Actress Oscar for Nominated for Best Actress for her work in Princess Collection necklace and diamond her role in “Monster’s Ball,” wearing the Harry “Zero Dark Thirty,” Jessica Chastain wears a cluster earrings as she accepts her Best Winston Pumpkin Diamond, which is a brilliant, Harry Winston vintage 1967 diamond and Actress Academy Award for “Shakespeare rare 5.54-carat orange diamond ring. bracelet totaling 24 carats and vintage 1969 in Love.” diamond earrings at the Academy Awards.

Academy Awards where Sandra Bullock wore Harry Winston designers consistently look to the April 2013, the jewelry house set a world auction a Harry Winston diamond brooch in her hair, archives for creative inspiration, with the most record for the purchase of a colorless diamond explaining that this small detail completed her recent designs released being the Sunflower and when it acquired a 101.7-carat pear-shaped flaw- Oscar look and made her the subject of trend Lily Cluster collections, derived from sketches less gem for $26.7 million. reports worldwide. dating back to the 1940s and 1950s. In creating “It was called the ‘perfect diamond,’ although Also at the 2013 Academy Awards, Best Actress the Sunflower collection, designers transformed a the Federal Trade [Commission] doesn’t allow nominee Jessica Chastain wore a vintage Harry classic Winston floral motif from the 1950s into the word ‘perfect’ to be used in terms of a dia- Winston 1967 diamond and gold bracelet total- contemporary drop earrings, studs and a necklace mond,” Shor says. “[Harry] Winston renamed it ing 24 carats, along with a 10-carat 1969 diamond featuring a sparkling center diamond set in plati- the Winston Legacy.” earrings. Whether a vintage design or new style, num and flanked by smaller diamond petals. A shining representation of the house that it’s clear the company has continued to flourish “… When the team at Harry Winston digs up Winston built, the diamond is just one small— over the years as a Hollywood mainstay. archival pieces … it really demonstrates what’s yet sizeable—piece of the man’s grand legacy. “I think Harry Winston’s combination of unique old is new again,” Rodriguez says. “For fall 2013, Placing the individual gem at the forefront of a one-of-a-kind pieces coupled with [its] vast col- modern jewelry with clean lines is going to be setting, he pioneered an innovative concept in lection of vintage pieces make [it] a force to be big. The Sunflower and Lily Cluster collections fine jewelry design and changed the way that the reckon with on any red carpet,” Rodriguez says. [are] a perfect example of [those trends].” world looks at diamonds. In addition to creating pieces in the vision of A visionary and perhaps the most iconic A New Era Winston, the company is also following in his American jeweler in the country’s history, Harry Illustrating the timeless nature of Winston’s tradition of sourcing some of the best and most Winston’s influence will continue to live on for vision is the company’s current design aesthetic. flawless diamonds available on the market. In years to come. B

BESPOKE MAGAZINE FALL 2013 59