Harry Winston Sunflower Necklace

Among the famed gemstones that Harry Winston (1896–1978) encountered over the course of his career was the Hope diamond, which he donated to the Smithsonian Institution in 1958. Today, Winston is regarded as the “King of Diamonds” and the “Jeweler to the Stars” as one of the first to recognize the branding power of lending glitzy earrings, necklaces and other fine jewelry for red-carpet events.

Winston’s father had immigrated to New York from Ukraine and ran a small jewelry shop where a young Harry learned about precious stones, enough, the story goes, to identify a real emerald in a heap of pawnshop jewelry at the age of 12. His early success involved turning that eye to estate sale collections that he transformed by freeing gemstones from dated ornamentation, giving them new cuts and modern settings. He opened Harry Winston Inc. in 1932, where he influenced 20th-century-jewelry trends by always elevating the stones rather than adding the lavish decorations that had pervaded jewelry in the 19th century.

The first of the celebrated diamonds to be purchased by Winston was the 726-carat uncut Jonker, acquired in 1935. Many others followed, including the 726.60-carat Vargas from Brazil which, in 1938, he tracked down across multiple continents after he read a brief newspaper notice about its discovery. The rarity and beauty of the gemstones he pursued and presented in his boutiques made the Winston brand synonymous with excellence.

Winston was also a pioneer of marketing as the first jeweler to dress an Academy Awards nominee when he loaned some diamond jewelry to Jennifer Jones for the 1944 Oscar ceremony. Winston was renowned for his eye for the finest of gemstones and the ability to design pieces in order to best flaunt their natural dazzle. He regularly showed off his collection in touring exhibitions, such as the 1949 “Court of Jewels,” which featured the Hope diamond. His storied past and long legacy is continued by the House of Harry Winston and its salons in Japan, the United Kingdom and elsewhere. 

On 1stDibs, find a stunning collection of Harry Winston jewelry that includes bracelets, wedding rings, engagement rings and other accessories.

Whether you’re layering multiple jewelry pieces or opting for a single strand, vintage pendant necklaces are versatile accessories that can elevate your casual wear as easily as they can add a creative flourish to your formal attire.

The earliest jewelry was less about accessorizing than it was about wearers arming themselves with amulets. In Ancient Egypt, some amulets featured a loop so that they could be strung around one’s neck. While rubies have long been one of the few gemstones that can give diamonds a run for their money, members of some ancient civilizations valued the stones from the get-go, donning ruby pendants as well as other stones with the belief that these adornments would bring protection, healing powers or strength. Today, we still wear our charm bracelets and charm pendants around our necks for good luck.

Later, pendant necklaces, like most fine jewelry, were worn strictly by royalty or the upper class and conferred wealth and prestige. This changed over time, thankfully, as wearing jewelry became more widespread, a democratized means of personal expression.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, pendant necklaces evolved from their status as spiritual amulets, but the jewels still carried deep personal significance. Victorian pendants, in particular, were part of the “mourning jewelry” tradition. Wearers would embed their pendants with locks of hair from a deceased loved one as a way of grieving in the wake of a loss. In the case of cameo jewelry, some pendants were even decorated with miniature hand-carved portraits in a detailed raised relief. Today, portraiture is still a characteristic of many of the hand-carved pendant necklaces offered by Italian jewelry house Scala Gioielli.

Luxury fine jewelry brands such as Cartier, BVLGARI and David Yurman offer their own unique interpretations of the cherished accessory, embellishing platinum or gold pendant necklaces with diamonds, sapphires and other stones.

On 1stDibs, find an extraordinary range of vintage pendant necklaces and other necklaces today.