In 1953, Marilyn Monroe sang the words ‘Talk to me, Harry Winston, tell me all about it.’ An iconic line for an iconic man. Harry Winston, casually known as the ‘King of Diamonds’ and ‘Jeweller to the Stars,’ established Harry Winston Inc. in 1932 and never looked back.
Winston on the Red Carpet
With the rise of Hollywood in the 1930s and 40s, the phrase movie star began to emerge. Winston took notice of the lavish lifestyle of the movie stars, or at least the lifestyles presented on red carpets and in their movies. He became the first jeweller to lend diamonds and jewellery to the stars for the Academy Awards and other red carpet affairs.
The first appearance of Winston jewels on a red carpet was at the 1944 Academy Awards. At which Jennifer Jones wore Winston diamonds, and rumour has it they were a good-luck charm as she took home her first Oscar that night.
One of the most memorable pieces to see on the red carpet was worn and owned by who should be known as the Queen of Diamonds, Elizabeth Taylor. At the 1970 Oscars, Taylor stunned with the Taylor-Burton Diamond, a 69.42 carat diamond cut by Winston and, of course, named for Taylor and her then husband Burton.
Harry Winston continues to lend its creations to Hollywood Royalty and create for actual Royalty. Though some of these creations are a far cry from the jewellery most can afford, including the Hollywood starlets themselves. These diamonds and creations are art, and lending them out lets more than just the vault attendants enjoy their beauty and craftsmanship.
The Cluster
Enchanted by the way that light caught the frost clusters on a holly wreath during the holidays, Winston created a dimensional design that features a variety of diamond cuts. The wonderful part of this design is that it is very versatile. It can be used in necklaces, earrings, rings and even brooches, which are having a lovely revival this year. This particular design is one of the most recognizable, seen both on the red carpet and on the screen.
Isadora Necklace
In the peak of 2000s rom-coms The House of Harry Winston lent a beautiful piece to the movie How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. Kate Hudson’s character, Andy, tosses aside her Knicks jersey for an evening gown and attends an event in which her accessory for the evening is the Isadora necklace. The 84-carat yellow diamond is a Harry Winston original, named for the dance legend Isadora Duncan. Isadora had arguably more security than the cast in this film, receiving both a security detail and an armoured car. Which might have been necessary if Andy had truly run into the night with Isodora around her neck, but it was returned to the Winston collection at the end of production.
Winston created an American Jewellery House that is known for its iconic designs, expertise and immense collection of rare diamonds. The house is still one of the most sought-after and visible on Hollywood’s red carpets.
