Written by Bérengère Treussard - Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Let me tell you about my fabulous visit to the House of « The king of diamonds » or how I entered Wonderland!
One June evening, I received an invitation from the
I can already hear you say « Wow! How was it? »
or : « Who is this
A jeweler, that's for sure! ... and there is already a little mystery to that! But, maybe you don't know more than that?
Except if you are one of my regular readers from the very begining and you have read this article on the beautiful
If not, don't panic!
Let's go back to the basics:
« Talk to me Harry Winston. Tell me all about it ! » is what Marilyn Monroe sang in the movie "Gentlemen Prefer Blonds".
That Marilyn called out Harry Winston in the famous song "Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend" is not surprising.
In his lifetime, Harry Winston has been nicknamed "the kind of diamonds" "the gem genius" or "the jeweler of the stars" and, for the past eight decades, his name is associated to glamour, extraordinary diamonds, exceptional stones and extremely innovative watches.
The story of Harry Winston begins at a young age in the small jewelry store his father Jacob opened in New York city. Emigrant from Ukraine, he came to the United States at the turn of the 20th century with his entire family.
Legend has it that at the age of 12, young Harry recognizes a 2ct emerald in a pawn shop, buy sit for 25 cents and sells it for $800 at his father's shop. All of his life, this enthusiast will have a deep attraction for precious stones, to the point of keeping his acquisitions in his pockets to touch them.
Harry Winston established his own company in 1932, in New York, and revolutionized the world of infe jewelry by purchasing some of the most prestigious collections at American auctions. He frees the stones from their heavy old-fashioned mounts and then remodels them in a more contemporary style, for the pleasure of a modern and initiated clientele. His signature design includes a flexible necklace made of platinum mesh, that undulates when the wearer moves - his reputation is established.
Many celebrity diamonds have passed through his hands, which is what entitled him to the name "The King of Diamonds".
Here is one of the rare photos of Mr Harry Winston published in 1978, the year of his death, having always refused to be photographed face-on for security reasons.
Editions Rizzoli will be featuring extremely refined creations through fascinating advertising campaigns, archive images, and celebrity photos with the release a fabulous book on October 16th 2012.
We discover among others, the historic diamonds which passed through the hand of Harry Winston such as the Hope (blue diamond of 45.52ct) which inspired the name of Harry Winston's foundation, the Lesotho (rough diamond of 601ct) and the Jonker (diamond of 726ct).
This compelling work pays homage to celebrities such as Elizabeth Taylor, Gwyneth Paltrow, Halle Berry and, of course, Marilyn Monroe, and irresistibly draws the reader's attention to some of the most spectacular pieces of jewelry and watches in history.
Now that you practically know everything about Harry Winston…
I'll get back to the story of my wonderful visit...
Welcomed on Avenue Montaigne by an army of security guards, I climbed the few steps of a beautiful staircase that led me to a large reception desk all in parquet and wood paneling decorated in powdery tones.
Sigrid and Camille introduced me to the house and successively to the collection Lily Cluster, Harry Winston's appeal collection with reasonable prices.
Followed by magnificent engagement rings in white and yellow diamonds...
And several exceptional pieces, just as much for the stones as for the quality of their manufacture...
I am a fan of the New York collection...
A real princess, I had to try them all on! From the Lily Cluster collection to "The Ring" and couldn't help notice a few tiaras...
I won't tell you everything… You might get jealous!
No? Oh good, I couldn't keep it all to myself... too much emotion!
I had the huge honor and most of all the greatest happiness, to try on an exceptional necklace with the most fabulous stones, entirely composed of emeralds and diamonds.
Ta-daaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
Is it really necessary to ask the price? Of course not! But I am sure there are at least seven zeros to it!
So where is my Saudi Prince? Yes, I know - at times you have to be ready for anything! But this is so worth it!
The necklace is so surprisingly supple and light, it hugged perfectly my neck all the way down to the start of my cleavage...
Truly, I tell you, I have never known anything better! For a moment, I felt more woman than woman; more glamorous than glamour itself... in short, I might as well say it...
I felt like being Marilyn Monroe !
I really understood, at that very moment, that diamonds are really a girl's best friend!
One could say that I was dreaming awake like Alice in Wonderland and I highly recommend the experience!
In fact, very serious studies show - which is no secret - that you need beauty to live happily!
That day I took a huge dose of happiness and I will take it again this weekend at the
At the Biennale, everything is gorgeous and I truly invite you to travel across Wonderland
In this magical palace, the Grand Palais, with a scenography designed by Karl Lagerfield, and passing by a plethora of high quality exhibitors and a fortiori pieces on exhibit. For this edition, 10 jewelers have been selected whereas previously, there were only 7!
Run to it, you have untill the 23rd of Septembre 2012, you will be amazed!
The pieces presented by Harry Winston on the theme of nature and in particular water are beautiful, the stones are exceptional... The diamonds, like drops of water delicatly strewn, are so poetic that there are no words to express the feelings htat overwhelm us at the sight of each piece.
I'm still blown away, I never imagined so much beauty could be reunited in such a small place.
Nature sublimated by the hand of man...
Each piece of fine jewelry is the result of collaboration between the designers and the artisans at Harry Winston's, who strive to create the exceptional. The collection makes us discover the different states of water thanks to sumptuous color palettes where shapes and movement mingle with the purity of lines.
Thanks to the extremely refined platinum setting, the sophisticated compositions with abstract shapes paved with diamonds evoke the elegant fluidity of rivers and the delicate rows of pear-cut and brilliant diamonds recall the majestic waterfalls. Variations in diamond cuts interpret different embodiments of water - from brilliant-cut diamonds that revisit the enchanting mists of the ocean, to baguette-cut diamonds that transform water in to ice. To render the infinite prism of the colors of water, precious stones mingle with diamonds and create shades of blue and green - deep-hued sapphires and emeralds, translucent aquamarines, luminous turquoises or dazzling Paraiba tourmalines.
Composed of 19 original designs, this fascinating collection brings high jewelry to a voyage at the heart of the elements, in the world of
I wish you the same journey as mine...
Happiness guaranteed!