Harry Winston: The king of diamonds

It was a chilly N e w Y o r kmo r n i n g i n March, 1960.

Several undercover police offi cers were s t a t ioned a long five blocks as four Brink’s armored trucks slowly made their way from 51st Street to Fifth Avenue and 56th Street. Each truck, which contained every conceivable precious stone, from diamonds to colored stones, like rubies and emeralds, was insured for more than $10 million. For a man who chose to ship the most famous diamonds in history by using regular, registered United States mail, this highly organized and secretive move — that had been planned weeks in advance — was a bit of a display. Finally, the trucks pulled up one by one in front of a large building on 718 Fifth Avenue. They had just completed what was arguably the single largest movement of jewels that had ever been attempted. The building is now known as the Harry Winston headquarters in New York, which also serves as the company’s flagship salon and design studio. Industry executives refer it as the “complete diamond industry under one roof” because there was an area for cutting and polishing diamonds, another for colored stones, along with a design studio and jewelry workshop. At one point, the headquarters even housed a diamond school that trained new generations of industry talent in order to pass on the esoteric knowledge of diamond sorting and cutting. When their training was finished, pupils who had shown extraordinary potential were offered permanent positions at the company.

However, it is likely that no amount of studying would ever measure up to the gift that was simply Mr. Winston’s birthright. “I happened to have been

born with the gift of knowing what I’m doing... and with the gift of courage to

do what I want to do,” he once said. At 15 years old, he decided to quit school and fully devote himself to the study of jewels. By the time he passed away at the

age of 82 on Dece. 8, 1978, it is estimated that a third of history’s most famous jewels had passed through his hands, including the iconic Hope diamond, the Lesotho diamond, the Jonker diamond, the Catherine the Great sapphire, the Indore Pear diamonds and the Star of the East pear-shaped diamond. These famous rocks are now part of the “Court of Jewels” exhibit, which is on display

at the Smithsonian museum.

Harry Winston studying the Briolette of India. As his fame and fortune increased, his insurance company, Lloyd’s of London, forbade him from ever showing his face in the press, allowing only his silhouette, back, and hands to be photographed.

However, one doesn’t need to go all the way to the Smithsonian or the Harry

Winston salon on Fifth Avenue to gaze at such brilliant gems — a Harry Winston salon can be found right in the Makati area in Greenbelt 5. There, everything from Harry Winston’s famous cluster collection and sought-after engagement rings to innovative timepieces can be found.

THE ART OF CLUSTERING

In the late 1940s, during Christmastime, Mr. Winston happened to notice the way the December frost coated the leaves of a holly wreath, making them glisten like diamonds. Inspired by the organic beauty of “what nature and man combine to make,” he pioneered a technique of clustering, in which different cuts of diamonds, such as pear and marquise cuts, are set together to create three dimensional jewels that sparkle from all angles. The Classic Harry Winston Wreath necklace is a direct interpretation of Winston’s original inspiration, with more than 150 carats of the world’s finest diamonds. Included in the HW’s

“Incredibles” collection, each extraordinary necklace takes more than a year to create. The Classic Cluster earrings use near-invisible platinum settings with

the stones meticulously set by hand. Transformed into highly dimensional sculptures, the diamonds appear to fl oat in their settings. The design for the Lily

Cluster was inspired by an original sketch created in 1947. A modern twist on the classic Winston Cluster, the Lily Cluster is Mr. Winston’s ideal of very light jewelry that floats on a woman’s skin. Over the past decades, the Winston Cluster has adorned famous Hollywood celebrities, like Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Lopez, Charlize Theron, Scarlett Johansson and Leighton Meester.

CHARMED, I’M SURE

Charms by Harry Winston is a chic collection of daytime jewelry that pays tribute to the history and legacy of Harry Winston design. Crafted in platinum or yellow gold and set with the world’s fi nest diamonds, the Charms are available through five unique pieces: the HW logo, the HW Solitaire, the Harry Winston Loop collection, the Harry Winston Lucky Eight collection and the Harry Winston Peony collection. Each charm is meticulously handset with sparkling diamonds and are all brilliant interpretations of the company’s most iconic symbols.

THE PERFECT RING

One of the most famous engagement rings that Harry Winston ever sold was the Lesotho III, a 40.42-carat marquisecut ring, which was purchased by Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis for Jacqueline Kennedy. Unlike other jewelers, Harry Winston’s team of gemologists choose diamonds according to a complex set of criteria that go beyond the Four C’s (cut, clarity, color and carat weight) to determine whether a diamond meets their unparalleled standards for beauty and brilliance. While two diamonds may have the same Four C’s on paper, if one is not cut well, they will not sparkle equally. Any woman who has received a Harry Winston rock from her husband-to-be can attest that the diamond truly sparkles like no other.

GOING FORWARD IN TIME

In 1989, the Harry Winston brand decided to go into watchmaking. Their famous collection includes the Avenue timepieces and the Ultimate Adornment timepieces. Inspired by the glamour and energy of New York, Harry Winston’s Avenue timepiece collection is an anthem to the city, celebrating the bright lights, iconic architecture and pulsating beat of Manhattan. From the timeless Avenue Classic to the Avenue C, the amplifi ed Avenue Squared, or the

delicate Avenue Mini, this stunning collection of timepieces plays with straight lines, curves and perspective to offer a range of styles that appeal to a variety of tastes and preferences. In the Ultimate Adornment timepiece, precious stones are further embellished through being juxtaposed with equally brilliant majestic feathers. These dazzling works of art from the Harry Winston Ultimate Adornment collection can be worn as brooches or pendants, and are composed of 62 carats of diamonds and 14 feathers. The brooch twirls and pivots to

form a splendid fanned shape composed of gossamer-light feathers. Though the man whose name had long been synonymous with diamonds is long gone, his legacy, along with his exacting standards for valuable stones and fi ne

jewelry, continues to this day.

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Harry Winston is located at the G/F Greenbelt 5, Ayala Center Makati; tel. no. (0917) 587-4037.