American jewelry house Harry Winston draws on its rich history of sourcing gemstones for royalty to create “Royal Adornments,” its latest collection of fine jewelry.
Crafting timeless jewels has long been a guiding principle of Harry Winston; this year’s opulent high jewelry collection, “Royal Adornments,” is a testament to the house’s unwavering commitment. Known as the “King of Diamonds ” and once the owner of the famous Hope Diamond, Harry Winston had an exceptional acumen for sourcing and setting rare and exceptional gems: rubies, brilliants, sapphires, emeralds, Paraiba tourmalines and pink pearls. Like his diamonds, his gemstones boasted an illustrious lineage, coming from the coffers of Marie Antoinette and Catherine the Great. In 1952, Life magazine declared that only the House of Windsor could rival Winston for his skill in collecting stones. Although he pioneered lending jewels to actresses on the red carpet, Winston has maintained an air of discretion, often creating bespoke pieces for and maintaining a deep connection with royalty around the world. Drawing on specific gems, designs and stories, the house brings this relationship into focus with “Royal Adornments” through twelve pieces of high jewelry.
The Duchess Necklace
In 1949, Winston purchased the entire jewelry collection of Irish-American socialite Evalyn Walsh McLean. Like McLean, Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor, was a big fan of colored diamonds. When she learned that Winston had acquired the heiress’s fortune, including the Hope Diamond, a deep blue Golconda diamond, Simpson told him, “My friends tell me you have some wonderful things.” From the late 1940s to the mid-1960s, the Duke and Duchess purchased 15 pieces of jewelry from Harry Winston, including what is now known as the Heart of Windsor, a 47-carat canary yellow diamond, and matching pear-shaped clips. In a nod to Simpson’s love of yellow diamonds, a high jewelry necklace features a stunning 40.11-carat Flawless Fancy Intense yellow diamond at its center, among the rarest of its kind.
The Marquess Necklace
In 1926, the Maharaja of Indore, India, His Highness Tukoji Rao III, abdicated the throne in favor of his only son. Although forced to renounce his title, he held on to his personal fortune, which included two extraordinary pear-shaped diamonds, known as the Indore Pears. During his travels, the former Maharaja met and married an American woman, Nancy Ann Miller. Both he and his American bride were often seen wearing the two Golconda diamonds. In 1946, Winston purchased the exquisite stones and meticulously cut them. He later led their sale and acquisition on three separate occasions between 1953 and 1976, culminating in the final sale to a member of the royal family. The Marquess necklace features intricate craftsmanship that showcases baguette-cut diamonds in the center row, a nod to the ribbon necklace from which the Indore Pears hung.
The Countess Necklace
Among the most prized jewels of the Russian Empress Catherine the Great was a stunning 337.10-carat deep blue sapphire from Sri Lanka, considered the largest of its kind in the world. After her death in 1796, this exceptional stone, now known as the “Catherine the Great Sapphire,” remained an integral part of the Russian Crown collection for over a century. However, in 1914, during World War I, the last Russian Emperor, Tsar Nicholas II, sold this oval-cut sapphire to finance a hospital train for the Russian army. In the late 1940s, the sapphire found its way to the United States, where Winston purchased it. A tribute to the world’s finest sapphires, the Countess Necklace features a stunning 30.27-carat octagon-cut sapphire. Carefully chosen for its hue, the stone is suspended from a sapphire and diamond necklace.
The Baroness Suite
The Maharaja of Indore Necklace boasts 15 impressive Colombian emeralds, with a central emerald weighing up to 45 carats. Although its origins remain a mystery, this extraordinary piece is believed to have come into the possession of the Maharaja in the early 20th century; Winston purchased it from his son in 1948. Proudly displayed throughout the United States as part of the renowned “Court of Jewels” exhibition, the necklace gained further fame when it was worn by Katharine Hepburn. Winston sold it in 1955 and it currently resides in the Smithsonian. Echoing the exquisite Maharaja of Indore piece, the Baroness Necklace features 104 pear-shaped emeralds and a 4.33-carat square-cut emerald, meticulously selected for their rich color and brilliant brilliance, intertwined with 294 mixed-cut diamonds. The square cut drop earrings match the necklace.