American jewelry house Harry Winston leans into a rich history of sourcing and designing exquisite gemstones for nobility for Royal Adornments, their latest High Jewelry collection.

Crafting resplendent jewels that transcend time has long been a guiding principle at <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/harry-winston-holiday-jewelry-collection-2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Harry Winston</a>; this year&rsquo;s opulent High Jewelry collection, Royal Adornments, is a testament to the house&rsquo;s unwavering commitment. Widely recognized as the &ldquo;King of Diamonds&rdquo; and once owning the famed Hope Diamond, Winston had an acumen for sourcing and setting rare and exceptional gemstones&mdash;brilliant rubies, sapphires, emeralds, Paraiba tourmalines, even pink conch pearls.
Like his diamonds, his gemstones boasted an illustrious lineage and were real-life artifacts from the jewel boxes of <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/marie-antoinette-gown-dresses-runway" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marie Antoinette</a> and Catherine the Great. In 1952, Life magazine proclaimed that only the House of Windsor could rival Winston in stone-collecting prowess. Though he pioneered the publicity-drawing practice of loaning jewelry to actresses on the red carpet, Winston also maintained an air of discretion, often creating bespoke pieces for nobility around the world and cementing a profound connection between the house of Harry Winston and royalty.
Royal Adornments centers this longstanding relationship. Drawing upon specific gemstones, designs, and stories, the maison has assembled 14 High Jewelry suites that celebrate its rich history of dressing the most influential people of the day. The collection is a nod to the aristocracy of the past while embracing a modern sensibility. Here is a peek at four highlights from the collection.

In 1949, Winston purchased the entirety of Irish-American mining socialite Evalyn Walsh McLean&rsquo;s jewelry collection. Like McLean, Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor, was very fond of fancy-colored diamonds. When she heard that Winston had acquired the heiress&rsquo;s estate&mdash;including the Hope Diamond, a deep blue Golconda diamond&mdash;Simpson told him, &ldquo;My friends tell me you have such wonderful things.&rdquo;
From the late 1940s through the mid-&rsquo;60s, the Duke and Duchess purchased 15 pieces of jewelry from Harry Winston, including what is now known as the Windsor Heart, a 47-carat, canary-yellow diamond, and matching pear-shaped clips.
In a nod to Simpon&rsquo;s affinity for yellow diamonds, this High Jewelry necklace features a stunning 40.11-carat Flawless Fancy Intense yellow radiant-cut diamond at its center, among the rarest of its kind.

Maharaja of Indore

In 1926, the Maharaja of Indore, India, His Highness Tukoji Rao III, abdicated the throne in favor of his only son. Though compelled to relinquish his title, he held on to his personal wealth, which included two extraordinary pear-shaped diamonds known as the Indore Pears. During his travels, the ex-Maharaja met and married an American woman, Nancy Ann Miller. Both he and his American bride were often seen wearing the two Golconda diamonds. In 1946, Winston acquired the dazzling stones and meticulously recut them. He then guided their sale and acquisition on three separate occasions between 1953 and 1976, culminating in their final sale to a distinguished member of royalty.
The Marquess Necklace features intricate craftsmanship, showcasing baguette-cut diamonds in its middle row, an homage to the ribbon necklace from which the Indore Pears dangled.

Among Russian Empress Catherine the Great&rsquo;s treasured jewels was a stunning 337.10-carat Sri Lankan deep blue sapphire, celebrated as the largest of its kind in the world. Following her death in 1796, this exceptional stone, known today as the Catherine the Great Sapphire, remained an integral part of the Russian Crown&rsquo;s collection for more than a century. However, in 1914, during World War I, the final Russian Emperor, Czar Nicholas II, sold this oval-cut sapphire to fund a hospital train for the Russian Army. By the late 1940s, the sapphire found its way to the U.S., where Winston acquired it.
An extravagant homage to the world&rsquo;s most beautiful sapphires, the Countess Necklace features a striking 30.27-carat octagonal-cut sapphire. Carefully chosen for its striking hue, the precious gemstone is suspended from a necklace of signature diamond-and-sapphire clusters.

The Maharaja of Indore necklace boasts 15 striking Colombian emeralds, with a central barrel emerald tipping the scale at around 45 carats. While its early origins remain a mystery, this remarkable piece is believed to have come under the possession of the Maharaja during the early 20th century; Winston acquired it from the Maharaja&rsquo;s son in 1948. Proudly showcased across the U.S. as part of the renowned Court of Jewels exhibition, the necklace gained additional fame when worn by Katharine Hepburn. Winston sold the necklace in 1955, and it currently resides at the Smithsonian.
Echoing the exquisite Maharaja of Indore piece, the Baroness Necklace has 104 pear-shaped emeralds, and one 4.33-carat square-cut emerald, meticulously selected for their rich color and brilliant sparkle, that are interlaced with 294 mixed-cut diamonds. Square-cut drop earrings pair with the necklace.

All photos courtesy of Harry Winston.

The Royal History of the House of Harry Winston

The Royal History of the House of Harry Winston

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