Courtesy Harry Winston
We were a little short on pocket change last week when a 101.73 carat flawless pear-shaped diamond went up for auction at Christie’s Geneva. The stone, which Christie’s was calling the most perfect diamond ever up for auction, was snapped up by jeweler Harry Winston and renamed the “Winston Legacy.”
For context, the Winston Legacy diamond is roughly the size of a small lime — completely eclipsing some of the most amazing diamonds we’ve seen throughout the years. And while the sight of this jaw-dropping stone has us reminiscing about some of our favorite Harry Winston memories, we also can’t help but wonder who will be the first to sport this newest bauble.
Harry Winston isn’t saying what’s next for the diamond, but we have a few ideas: The world’s sparkliest belt buckle for Bradley Cooper? A first anniversary ring from Brad Pitt to Angelina Jolie? Perhaps Miley Cyrus will pair it with a crop top?
While you’re pondering that question (and telling us who you’d love to see wear this giant diamond!) check out some of our favorite jaw-dropping diamonds from years past, worn by some of the most legendary beauties of their time.
Rex USA: Courtesy Harry Winston
No matter who ends up with the Winston Legacy diamond, they’re going to have a hard time living up to the legacy set by Elizabeth Taylor, who did enormous pear-shaped diamond jewelry first — and best. Her 69.42-carat diamond was cut by Harry Winston and eventually purchased for her by husband Richard Burton for more than a million dollars. She wore it frequently while they were married, but after their divorce, she sold it for more than $5 million.
Corbis; Inset: Courtesy Harry Winston
Not just any diamond would do for Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’s second marriage, to Greek billionaire Aristotle Onassis. The shipping magnate nabbed a 40-carat engagement ring, called the Lesotho III, for his bride-to-be — one of several jaw-dropping stones cut from a 601-carat diamond found in South Africa. Pictured is the 71-carat Lesotho I; Onassis’s was a slightly smaller (but still outrageous) marquise ring, which sold at auction in the ’90s for $2.59 million.
Getty; Courtesy Harry Winston
Though there were rumors that the Hope Diamond was cursed, Michelle Pfeiffer seemed to have no such qualms about wearing the 45-carat blue stunner, which has been around since the 1600s. There’s no way to value the diamond, which was donated to the Smithsonian by Winston in 1958, but apparently the mystery still remains — the Smithsonian counts it among its most-visited items.
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP; Courtesy Harry Winston
Any red carpet watchers knows that celebrities tend to reach for diamonds whenever they hit major red carpets, and Harry Winston is a favorite of celebrities from Jessica Chastain to Adele. But one of the most show-stoppingly sparkly moments lately was Jessica Alba‘s necklace at this year’s Golden Globes, when she hit the red carpet wearing a $5.8 million “Mrs. Winston” diamond necklace, weighing in at 187.5 carats.
Tell us: Whose major diamond moment was your favorite? Who do you want to wear the giant Legacy diamond and how?
–Alex Apatoff
