Due to his propensity for obtaining some of the rarest gems ever found, including the 726-carat Jonker and Evalyn Walsh McLean’s 94.8-carat Star of the East, Harry Winston was frequently referred to as the King of Diamonds.
It is a reputation that has endured well beyond the lifetime of the jewellery tycoon. More recent brand acquisitions include the immaculate, colourless 101.73-carat Winston Legacy that was acquired in 2013 and the vibrant 18.96-carat Winston Legacy Pink that was acquired in 2018.
The Winston Sapphire Legacy, a 43.1-carat Kashmir sapphire set in platinum and hanging on a necklace set with a total of 67.5 carats of round brilliant, square-emerald, pear, and marquise diamonds, is the newest piece to catch attention at the maison’s court.
This size of sapphire is extremely uncommon, and Kashmiri sapphires are even more so. The stones were initially found after a landslide in Kashmir’s Himalayan mountains in the early 1880s and were first traded by locals for salt and other consumer goods; after traders realised their value, the Maharaja sent troops to protect and control the mines, according to Benoît Repellin, the company’s global head of jewellery. Even though the process of exhuming the jewels was finished before the turn of the century, the venture produced some of the world’s finest sapphires.
According to Repellin, the Kashmir sapphire’s singular mix of a rich, bright blue with a soft and velvety appearance sets it apart from all other stones for collectors and aficionados. A Kashmir sapphire is a marvel of nature because of its velvety-blue hue, good clarity, big size, and significant weight. Finding a large crystal from these mines is a great discovery. Of course, a collector’s dream, especially for a piece that comes around only once in a lifetime.
American premium jeweller and maker of Swiss watches Harry Winston, Inc. Harry H. Winston Jewels, Inc. was the name under which the business was established in 1932. In January 1936, this name was changed to Harry Winston Inc. The business is named after Harry Winston, who founded it and was dubbed the “King of Diamonds” by many.
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