Harry Winston Unveils an Extremely Rare 19-Carat Pink Diamond Ring

His reputation as a diamond maverick began in the early days of his storied career, as he acquired some of history’s greatest and most impressive diamonds, amassing a personal collection that at one time rivaled those of royal houses. For instance, the famous 44.5-carat Hope diamond—a rare deep-blue stone that was originally brought from India in the late 17th century and sold to King Louis XIV of France—was acquired by Winston in 1949 from the estate of Evelyn Walsh McLean. The jeweler generously donated the stone to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. 

He is also known for his 1935 purchase of the Jonker Diamond, a white diamond tinged with blue that weighed a staggering 726 carats in rough form, about the size of a hen’s egg and named after the prospector Jacobus Jonker, who dug it up from a farm in South Africa. After a tour around the U.S., Winston had Lazare Kaplan cut the original stone into 13 finished gems. 

The iconic Indore Pears, once owned by the Maharaja of Indore, meanwhile, were purchased by Winston in 1946. Under his skillful eye, Winston recut the diamonds to 44.14 and 46.39 carats and retained them in his personal collection. In 1949 they were exhibited around the country in “The Court of Jewels,” a national traveling show hosted by Winston to educate the American public.

Continuing this legacy, the house acquired the sensational 18.96 carat Fancy Vivid Pink diamond in November 2018. It was described by in-house specialists as “virtually unheard of,” due to its incredible size and rare color grading. The stone is certainly befitting of Winston’s legacy and the magnificent power of exceptional gemstones. This year, Harry Winston, which remains one of the world’s leading sources for diamonds of outstanding quality, is also celebrating a new campaign dedicated to the theme of love.