Harry Winston's name is known all around the world. He was not just the jewelry baron, but also the famous watchmaker, and a legendary man. The stories about his amazing life boggle the minds of people and fans of fine jewelry, as well as fans of men's and women's wrist watches all around the world. Harry Winston was born in 1896 in the family of the American jeweler. In 1890, his father, Jacob Winston, opened his own jewelry store in Manhattan. Harry remembered, that his father always feared, that the precious stones some day would capture his son's mind. May be, Harry's father was right in a way. There is a legend, that when Harry Winston was just twelve, he saw a two-carat emerald in a pawn shop. He bought the stone for 25 cents only and managed to sell it in two days later for $ 800. Winston discovered the strong passion for precious stones in himself in his early childhood. They said, he was able to distinguish between the real and the fake jewel in a shop window, even if he was on the opposite side of the street. And at the age of 15, young Harry got the first base in the jewelry business, that later led him to the breathtaking fame and popularity. At first, he was the owner of a small firm, that later became one of the largest companies in the world at the cost of the incredible efforts of the purposeful young man. When Harry Winston was thirty years old, he had already won the honorable place among the great jewellers, being the second only after the jewelry king Charles Tiffany. So, Winston became the world's jewellery expert.
I must say, that, in addition to the gift of jeweller, Harry Winston had a natural intuition, the perfect ability to conduct business negotiations. He was a man, about whom people often say "he could sell snow in the winter." So, his diamonds had earned the glory in a relatively short period of time. Harry Winston was engaging in buying up the best vintage jewelry and finishing it, using the modern methods. After that the product reincarnated. Then the talented entrepreneur and jeweller sold the refreshed product at the fabulous price. Even the Great Depression of the 30s of the XX century did not shaken Winston's business, and he still had his feet on the ground. For the first time, actress Katharine Hepburn was wearing Harry Winston's diamonds at "Oscar" prize presentation ceremony in 1947, but it was Marilyn Monroe, who helped the jeweller to achieve such a great success. In the famous film "Some Like It Hot," Monroe sang her well-known song «Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend», that included the following words «Talk to me, Harry Winston, tell me all about it!» (about diamonds).
Winston's collection numbers about 60 unique diamonds out of 300, existing in the world. For example, it includes such stones as " The Jonker" (125.35 carats), that was purchased in 1935 and then emerald cut; the light blue diamond, known as "The Idol's Eye" (70.20 carats), and many others.
As for watches, the first Harry Winston model appeared only in 1989. Ronald Winston, Harry Winston's son, successfully continued his father's business, having expanded the range of goods with the jewelry watches. Ronald did not want to change the princples of the jewelry house, so he decided to produce the watches of the highest quality, they must be expensive and technically ingenious.
It is known, that Harry Winston jewelry is appreciated very high, because the company always uses only the best materials. You will never find a single defect, hidden under the frame, both of jewelry and a wrist watch by Harry Winston. All stones are absolutely clean and perfect. And, certainly, I can not but finish this article with the words from the above-mentioned Marilyn Monroe's song: “And we all lose our charms in the end, But square-cut or pear-shaped These rocks don't lose their shape”.
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