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Harry Winston: The King of Diamonds

Harry Winston opened his first salon on Fifth Avenue in New York in 1932, at the depth of the Great Depression. This counterintuitive timing proved prescient — while lesser jewelry houses struggled, Winston's extraordinary diamond inventory attracted the wealthy who continued to buy exceptional stones as stores of value. Within two decades, Winston had become the pre-eminent fine jeweler in the United States.

The Cluster setting, Harry Winston's most recognized design, was created in the 1940s. The setting surrounds a center diamond with smaller brilliant-cut diamonds arranged in an organic, floral pattern that maximizes sparkle while creating an effect of a single flowing diamond form. This distinctive setting — updated and refined across generations — remains the signature look that distinguishes Winston engagement rings from all competitors.

Harry Winston's innovation in celebrity marketing — lending extraordinary jewelry to stars for award ceremonies — fundamentally changed how luxury jewelry was marketed. When Marilyn Monroe wore Winston diamonds to the premiere of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and sang "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend," she was wearing Harry Winston jewels. This tradition continues today with virtually every major Hollywood award ceremony featuring Winston-loaned pieces on the red carpet.