By Maria Doulton in London
Harry Winston and the red carpet are old friends. It was this savvy New York jeweller who first thought of lending jewels to the stars to wear as they walked the red carpet to take their seat at the Academy Awards when, in 1944, he lent diamond jewels to the actress Jennifer Jones. The glamorous Miss Jones flashed her sexy look at the cameras, and the diamonds shone out in newspapers and fashion journals around the world. So though Jennifer Jones may have been but a few high-heeled steps in her Harry Winston jewellery, it was enough to spark a diamond rush to the red carpet. Today, no Oscar moment is complete without the flash of a star's smile and the sparkle of fabulous diamonds.
The tradition of dressing leading ladies continued and, in 1947, Katherine Hepburn wore the 15th century Inquisition Necklace on loan from Harry Winston. Halle Berry was front-page news in 2001 when she wore Harry Winston's rare Pumpkin Diamond on her finger as she collected her Oscar for Best Actress and made history as the first African-American to do so. Sophia Loren, Scarlett Johansson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Charlize Theron, Jennifer Lopez and Adele have all added extra dazzle to their most celebrated moments with a Harry Winston diamond.
Most recently, at the Academy Awards 2013, Jessica Chastain chose vintage Harry Winston diamonds from the 1960s. While in her role as presenter at the Academy Awards, Charlize Theron wore vintage bracelets by Harry Winston from 1959 that notched up an impressive 100 carats of diamonds.
And Harry Winston also shines at other red carpet events during awards season in LA. Nicole Kidman chose the Belle earrings and ruby and diamond bracelets by Harry Winston for the closing ceremony of the Cannes Film Festival 2013. Jessica Alba wore the impressive Mrs Winston diamond necklace worth US$5.8 million to the 2013 Golden Globes. Linda Evangelista chose to wear Harry Winston diamonds her way at the Met Ball in New York in 2013 with multiple diamond ear studs and a 'Lily Cluster' tiara for a punk princess look. And it's not just about women. This year, Jared Leto flashed a Harry Winston Midnight watch as he took to the stage to collect his trophy for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role at the Screen Actors Guild Awards.
