Harry Winston

Harry Winston was a famous maker of jewelry.

He was very good at his work. Many people called him the "King of Diamonds."

He worked with many bright and shiny stones. He even lent gems to movie stars. This helped famous people wear his work.

He owned a very special blue stone. It was called the Hope Diamond.

He gave it to a museum to keep.

He also traded a different diamond for many small ones. This was a very big trade.

His family still runs his business today. It is a very famous name in the world.

Harry Winston was a famous jeweler.

Many people called him the "King of Diamonds." His father owned a small jewelry shop. Harry worked there as a boy. When he was twelve, he found an emerald in a pawn shop. He bought it for 25 cents. He sold it two days later for $800!

He started his own business in 1920. In 1932, he opened his first store in New York City. Winston was very good at making jewelry. He bought old collections and made them look new. He also lent gems to movie stars for big events. This helped his name become famous in Hollywood.

Winston owned many special gems. He owned the Hope Diamond, which is a blue stone.

He gave this diamond to the Smithsonian Institution in 1958. He also owned the Napoleon Diamond Necklace.

In 1974, he bought a huge group of diamonds. It was the largest diamond sale in history at that time. His company is still known all over the world today.

Harry Winston was a famous American jeweler. Many people called him the "King of Diamonds."

He was born on March 1, 1896. His parents were Jewish immigrants from the Russian Empire. His father, Jacob Weinstein, ran a small jewelry business. Harry worked in this shop while he was growing up. When he was only twelve years old, he showed a talent for business. He bought a two-carat emerald for 25 cents at a pawn shop. He sold that same emerald for $800 just two days later.

Making jewelry is a way of turning raw stones into beautiful art. Winston was very skilled at this craft. In 1926, he bought a huge collection from Arabella Huntington for $1.2 million. The jewelry in her collection had very old-fashioned designs. Winston used his skills to redesign the pieces into more modern styles. This helped show the world how talented he was at his job. He officially started his own company, Harry Winston Inc., in New York City in 1932. He continued to grow his business by finding and improving rare gems.

Winston's name became very famous through his work with Hollywood stars. In 1944, he started a new practice. He would lend beautiful jewelry to actresses for big events like the Academy Awards. One of the first actresses to do this was Jennifer Jones. Other famous stars like Katharine Hepburn also wore his jewelry. His work even appeared in many famous movies. You might recognize his name from the film *Gentlemen Prefer Blondes*. In that musical, a character even says, "Talk to me, Harry Winston!"

Winston owned some of the most famous diamonds in history. He owned the Hope Diamond, which is a dark grayish-blue stone. He bought it in 1949 and later gave it to the Smithsonian Institution in 1958. He sent the precious stone through the mail in a registered package. In 1974, Winston made history with a very large purchase. He bought a group of diamonds worth $24,500,000. This was the largest single sale of diamonds ever seen at that time. He even got a small extra diamond as a "sweetener" during the deal.

Today, the business he started is still a major part of the world. After Winston died, his sons Ronald and Bruce ran the company. They had a long disagreement over who would lead for ten years. In 2000, Ronald bought Bruce out for $54.1 million. Later, in 2013, a Swiss company called the Swatch Group bought the business for $1 billion. You can still find Harry Winston jewelry in many places. In 2015, the company had 39 salons in cities like New York and Las Vegas. His legacy lives on through the sparkling stones he once held.

Harry Winston was one of the most famous American jewelers in history. Because of his incredible skill and his collection of rare gems, many people called him the "King of Diamonds."

He was born Harry Weinstein on March 1, 1896. His parents were Jewish immigrants from the Russian Empire. His father, Jacob Weinstein, ran a small jewelry business. Harry learned the trade by working in his father's shop as a child. Even at age twelve, he showed a talent for finding value. He bought a two-carat emerald for only 25 cents at a pawn shop. He sold that same emerald for $800 just two days later.

Winston's professional journey involved both business growth and artistic redesign. In 1926, he acquired the jewelry collection of Arabella Huntington for $1.2 million. Arabella was the wife of railroad magnate Henry E. Huntington. Her collection contained prestigious pieces, many from Parisian jewelers like Cartier. However, the designs were quite old-fashioned. Winston used his expertise to redesign the jewelry into contemporary styles. This showcased his unique skill in jewelry crafting. He officially founded Harry Winston Inc. in New York City in 1932.

One of Winston's most important contributions was his relationship with Hollywood. In 1944, he pioneered a new practice of lending jewelry to actresses. He began this tradition with Jennifer Jones for major events like the Academy Awards. This practice allowed stars like Katharine Hepburn to wear spectacular pieces. For example, Hepburn wore the 15th-century Inquisition Necklace in 1947. His jewelry became a staple of celebrity culture and cinema. His name was even mentioned in the musical film *Gentlemen Prefer Blondes*. A character in the film famously says, "Talk to me, Harry Winston, tell me all about it!"

Winston was also a master of managing and improving rare gemstones. He often purchased stones that required technical changes to reach their full potential. For instance, he bought the Arcots, which were two antique pear-shaped brilliants. When he removed them from their settings, he discovered they were not a perfect match. He decided to recut them to improve their clarity and brilliance. He also owned the Blue Heart, a blue, heart-shaped brilliant. He mounted this stone in a ring and sold it to Marjorie Merriweather Post.

Winston's ability to recognize the value in a rough stone was legendary.

The most famous diamond associated with Winston is the Hope Diamond. This stone is a large, fancy dark grayish-blue, antique cushion brilliant. Winston purchased the diamond in 1949. In 1958, he donated the gem to the Smithsonian Institution. He sent the precious stone to the museum via registered first-class mail. The original package he used is still kept in the Smithsonian's collection today.

In 1963, he also traded the Portuguese Diamond to the Smithsonian. In exchange, he received 3,800 carats of small diamonds.

Winston also made history through massive commercial transactions. In 1974, he purchased a large parcel of diamonds valued at $24,500,000. At that time, this was the largest individual sale of diamonds in history. The transaction was arranged by Harry Oppenheimer, the head of De Beers Consolidated Mines Ltd. During the negotiation, Winston asked for "a little something to sweeten the deal." Oppenheimer responded by rolling a rough diamond across the table. Winston accepted the stone, which was later cut into five gems. The largest of these was named the "Deal Sweetener."

The legacy of Harry Winston continued through his family and major corporations. After his death, his two sons, Ronald and Bruce, took over the company. They engaged in a decade-long battle for control of the business. In 2000, Ronald bought Bruce out for $54.1 million with the help of Fenway Partners. Eventually, the entire company was sold to the Swatch Group of Switzerland in 2013. The sale price was $1 billion. By 2015, the company operated 39 salons globally. These included locations in New York, Las Vegas, and many other international cities.