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Harry Winston Review: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
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“One dream in my heart, one love to be living for . . .”
“Shall we dance, shall we dance, shall we dance . . .”
“Here you are standing there loving me, whether or not you should . . .”
“Do I love you because you’re beautiful? Or are you beautiful because I love you?”
What do all of these lines have in common?
If you said these are all song lyrics, you’d be correct.
If you said these are all song lyrics sung by a male lead, you’d also be correct.
If you said these are all song lyrics written by Rodgers and Hammerstein, you’d also be correct.
And if you said these are all song lyrics from classic movie musicals of the 1950s, you’d also be correct!
Believe it or not, these films were each released in the 1950s. It really was the fabulous ‘50s, after all!
A nurse falling for a middle-aged plantation owner during World War II, a school teacher dancing ‘round a ballroom with the king of Siam, an Austrian nun-wannabe singing her way into a former naval officer’s heart, a maid falling head over glass slipper for a charming prince.
All were successful movies scored by the genius pair of Rodgers & Hammerstein in the 1950s.
But let’s not forget another famous movie musical from this same delightful decade.
One of the most classic stars of this era was Hollywood favorite Marilyn Monroe. And one of the most classic of her pictures was Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. And one of the most classic scenes in this film was . . .
The “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” scene, of course!
Who can forget when Marilyn starts name dropping mid-chorus? Let’s see if you remember the brands she mentions during in the song . . .
Tiffany’s . . .
Cartier . . .
Black Starr . . .
Frost Gorham . . .
Harry Winston . . .
Harry Winston. Ah yes, saving the best for last.
This particular jewelry store just so happens to be the subject for today, ladies and gentlemen!
If you’ve heard of Harry Winston—through social media, word of mouth, or Marilyn Monroe—and you’ve wanted to learn more, you’re in the right place.
Sit back and enjoy discussing the history, variety, cost, and quality of Harry Winston jewelry.
Source: We Love Marilyn Monroe via Instagram
What is the history of Harry Winston jewelry?
While the 1950s were a great year for the entertainment industry, the 1930s provided opportunities for aspiring business people—like young Harry Winston—even amid The Great Depression.
Born with a keen eye for opportunity, 12-year-old Harry once recognized an emerald among pawnshop collectibles, bought the precious stone for 25 cents, and sold it two days later for $800.
He officially began his career in 1926 when he purchased the jewelry collection of Arabella Huntington—during her life named the richest woman in the world—for $1.2 million.
He launched Harry H. Winston Jewels, Inc. in 1932, setting up shop in New York City. The jewelry store’s headquarters were later moved to 5th Avenue.
In 1934, South African mine worker Johannes Jacobus Jonker discovered the fourth-largest diamond ever found. Harry Winston traveled to London to purchase it shortly thereafter and made headline news around the world.
The uncut diamond remained in England for some time. Nineteen thirty-five marked the year of the Royal Silver Jubilee of King George V, and the “Jonker Diamond” stayed on the English Isle so members of the royal family and English subjects could catch a glimpse of the precious stone.
Winston eventually shipped the rare diamond—for which he had paid almost $200,000—back to New York by way of regular postage, for a total of 64 cents.
Just three years later, an even bigger diamond was found in Brazil. Winston traveled to South America in secret to purchase the gem before news broke to any other potential buyers.
Source: Harry Winston via Instagram
Before the fabulous ‘50s, Harry Winston purchased the famous Hope Diamond, which once belonged to King Louis XIV and Marie Antoinette. He later loaned the blue beauty to the Smithsonian Institute, where it remains to this day.
Winston is said to have transported the Hope Diamond to Washington D.C., also by way of the United States Postal Service.
Harry Winston soon earned the nickname “The King of Diamonds” and toured with his impressive collection, titled “The Court of Jewels.”
In 1952, Winston posed with his largest and most rare precious stones for a feature in LIFE magazine. Harry Winston had reportedly come to own the second largest collection of jewels globally, coming in second only to the British royal family.
The first international Harry Winston salon was opened in 1955. And in the 1960s, Winston acquired two additional gems, later purchased by the husbands of Elizabeth Taylor and Jacqueline Onassis for their respective wives.
Harry Winston’s death in 1978 saw the company change hands to his two sons. His legacy lives on, and he is celebrated as a legendary American jeweler.
In 2013, Harry Winston as a company came into possession of an impressive stone at a Christie’s auction in Switzerland. The company broke the record for the highest dollar amount ever paid for a white diamond at an auction.
The stone itself was described by Christie’s as “the most perfect diamond ever offered for sale at auction.” It was named the “Winston Legacy” diamond.
What type of jewelry does Harry Winston sell?
Collections
Have you ever been to an afternoon tea party? How about a “high” tea party? There’s a big difference, you know!
High tea parties take place on the ceiling, like in Mary Poppins.
Just kidding.
The main difference between afternoon tea and high tea is the former involves a light menu earlier in the day, and the latter involves a more hearty menu in the evening.
Like tea parties, there’s a difference between regular jewelry and high jewelry. At least, there is at harrywinston.com.
Source: harrywinston.com
When navigating to the jewelry landing page on the Harry Winston online site, web surfers have the option of choosing to view jewelry or high jewelry.
Let’s start with “regular” jewelry.
The jewelry pieces carried by Harry Winston are sorted by collection.
Are you into flowers? Then you might be interested in Lily Cluster by Harry Winston, Sunflower by Harry Winston, Lotus Cluster by Harry Winston, or Forget-Me-Not by Harry Winston.
Is geometry more your thing? Then you might like Art Deco by Harry Winston, Diamond Loop by Harry Winston, Traffic by Harry Winston, or Winston Kaleidoscope.
Have more of a simple taste? Then you might prefer Classics.
All about nostalgia? Then you might be into Winston Gates by Harry Winston, HW Logo by Harry Winston, or Belle by Harry Winston.
Now that we’ve dipped our pinkies in regular jewelry, let’s indulge ourselves in exploring “high” jewelry.
The few collections within this portion of the catalog include The New York Collection, Legacy, Secrets, Winston Candy, and The Incredibles, all by—you guessed it—Harry Winston.
Secrets jewelry choices include hidden gems, while Winston Candy pieces are made with vibrant colors.
Source: Harry Winston via Instagram
Types of Pieces
Source: harrywinston.com
In addition to sorting the pieces by collection, choices can also be sorted by product type.
In order of quantity, the items sold on harrywinstom.com include earrings, pendants, rings, wedding bands, bracelets, necklaces, and charms.
Now, just because diamonds are a girl’s best friend doesn’t mean we forgot about the men out there. Not everything on the site is for the ladies, after all!
Many of the forty-two choices in wedding bands are designed for men. Though, all of the wedding bands include a diamond of some size and shape.
In fact, one of the most masculine of the wedding bands—the Signature Band Ring—is a platinum ring inscribed with Harry Winston’s signature and a round diamond weighing 0.002 carats in place of the dot over the “i” in Winston.
In case you’ve found the love of your life and are ready to pop the question, it’s helpful to point out that all of the options for Harry Winston engagement rings are listed in the rings category as well as on their own dedicated page.
Varieties of gemstones featured in engagement rings include brilliant diamonds, emeralds, yellow diamonds, rubies, and sapphires.
Source: Harry Winston via Instagram
For our men out there, you also have one option each of cufflinks, shirt studs, and a pendant.
Harry Winston is also in the watchmaking business. So if you need to tell time throughout the day and your analog clock from the dollar store just isn’t cutting it, you might like to browse the Harry Winston timepiece page. These products are likewise divided by collection.
Source: harrywinston.com
Fan favorites include Marquise Time by Harry Winston, The Harry Winston Premier Collection, and the more modern Project Z.
The next time you go to the opera, and you’re tired of the camping binoculars you picked up at Walmart, maybe it’s time to upgrade to the Broadway Glasses by Harry Winston.
This item really sings at an octave above with its 270 brilliant-cut diamonds, 212 baguette-cut diamonds, and a total of five emeralds. Plus, the dial itself houses 48 diamonds. That’s 535 gems put together!
Not to mention, the rest of the piece is made from quartz, white gold, and black onyx.
What is the quality of Harry Winston jewelry, and how much does it cost?
Here’s the thing. We’ll only be able to answer part of this question.
You see, most of the jewels on the Harry Winston website do not have prices listed.
Yeah. It’s one of those.
The online store does not operate like Amazon, where you can order something this morning, and it shows up at your doorstep before lunchtime. Most pieces on the website have a little button next to them, prompting prospective customers to “schedule a private appointment.”
However, we do have a good idea of the effect purchasing Harry Winston jewels will have on your pocketbook.
Asking prices are listed for many of the charms. For instance, the Forget-Me-Not sapphire and diamond charm is going for $2,950.
As another point of reference, the Winston Blossom diamond engagement ring includes a brilliant center stone in platinum setting surrounded by a halo of 16 additional diamonds, plus the diamond-covered band. This piece is listed for $11,800.
Source: Harry Winston via Instagram
However, take this price with a grain of salt (or, should we say, a speck of quartz) because jewel prices vary based on carat weight, color, and clarity.
Famed auction house Christie’s recently put a Harry Winston diamond necklace up for bidding. The asking price for this piece featuring multiple pear-shaped diamonds and precious stones was between $400,000 and $600,000. It sold for $1,027,500.
If a five-digit figure matches up more with your price range, you might want to bid on the pearl and diamond necklace currently open for bidding on christies.com. The asking price is only $27,657–$44,252.
To give you an idea of the jewelry store’s clientele under discussion, let’s name-drop some of the brand’s frequent customers.
J.Lo is practically a brand ambassador, as she has worn Harry Winston pieces to the Screen Actors Guild Awards, the Met Gala, the Golden Globes, and the grocery store.
We’re not kidding about that last one. Harry Winston cut the engagement rings given to Jennifer Lopez by both her first and second husbands. The first cost $1.2 million, while the second cost $4 million.
Source: Harry Winston via Instagram
Other celebrities who have lit up the red carpet with Harry Winston jewels include Amal Clooney, Shirley Temple, Natalie Portman, Nicole Kidman, Halle Berry, Scarlett Johansson, Helen Mirren, and Idina Menzel—who voiced Elsa in the popular film, Frozen.
Julie Andrews—who not only played the role of that Austrian nun-wannabe we mentioned earlier but also starred in Disney’s The Princess Diaries—has also been known to sparkle in Harry Winston.
In fact, the pieces she wore in her role as Queen Clarisse Renaldi are the same pieces she donned at the 2001 Oscars.
It’s not surprising that the house of Harry Winston calls itself “Jeweler to the Stars.”
This famed brand has accessorized the queen of Naboo, the queen of Arendelle, and the queen of Genovia.
Final thoughts
Regal through and through, Harry Winston jewelry is fit for a queen. Truly luxury in every sense of the word, Harry Winston is the epitome of fine jewelry.
P.S. Blush and Bar is not responsible for any of the opening songs getting stuck in your head.
