Past Perfect: Harry Winston’s Sunflowers



They’re one of the most beloved harbingers of high summer, yet sunflowers have an inherently provincial quality. They tend to be the domain of farmer’s markets and, like mason jars and chalkboard signs, country chic wedding Pinterest boards.

But in the hands of Harry Winston, this all-American bloom becomes something wildly luxurious.

As the archival rendering below illustrates, the house’s designers have been inspired by sunflowers since the 1950s.

This high jewelry necklace, which was originally crafted as a custom design (presumably for a very well-to-do client), inspired an entire garden of Sunflowers in 2013. The collection has since expanded into a bumper crop of diamond blooms and is now considered one of Harry Winston’s most iconic—and covetable—motifs.

In what’s perhaps a more accurate interpretation of a sunflower’s graphic petal structure and textured centers, each glittering Helianthus annuus is marked by a round brilliant diamond center stone, meticulously framed by a halo of eight smaller diamonds. And stemming from the original design concept, the collection is cross-pollinated with flashes of color in the form of sapphire or ruby seeds for a perfectly balanced hybrid of vintage and new.

Earrings from the 2013 series

Spread from the 2016 catalog

Three Motif Diamond Pendant featuring 2.26 cts. tw. diamonds set in platinum, price upon request; Harry Winston

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Amy Elliott

JCK Contributing Editor

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