The ice-white king of New York jewellery, Harry Winston, brought some unexpected colour to this year's Biennale des Antiquaires. With the new Water jewellery collection, a wealth of rare blue and green gemstones is welcomed into the Winston fold.
Harry Winston is renowned for the crystal clarity of its pieces, with only rare splashes of colour. In the Water collection, though, the 19 new pieces are set with sapphires and emeralds, as well as heady turquoise and vibrant Paraibas - and, yes, the legendary Winston diamonds are still present too. As Art Director Sandrine De Laage explains: "For the past few years we have focussed on diamonds, but we shouldn't forget that Harry Winston was a lover of coloured stones also."
De Laage went back into the company's archives to find combinations and settings that Mr Winston himself used to incorporate regularly. The fluidity of water is at the heart of the collection, with settings that seemingly follow the contours of the body, giving it a beguiling sense of free flow. One bracelet echoes a splash of water, with short strings of diamonds running free over the wrist.
The combination of turquoise and blue sapphires mirrors the varying hues of water. Even with these bursts of blue and green, it's clear to see these are Harry Winston pieces, with diamonds used to impressive effect. The stones are all set in ultra-fine platinum wire, with fancy and pavé diamonds combined with brilliant- and pear-cut stones to create that free-flow effect. Even the baguette diamonds evoke glacial ice crystals of water in yet another form.
This is jewellery that is gorgeous to look at, but even more so to wear. With the new Water collection, Harry Winston has combined vibrant colours and a vast array of diamonds with an élan and subtlety that few jewellery houses come close to these days.
