Harry Winston New Hope

Harry Winston Embracing Hope necklace

THE famous Hope Diamond made its official debut in its temporary "Embracing Hope" setting at the historic Court of Jewels Exhibition - where more than $1 billion of the world's rarest diamonds and most extraordinary gemstones were on display - at Harry Winston's Fifth Avenue flagship store in New York last week. The new setting - which was selected from three different Winston designs by popular vote in an online poll in 2009 - sees the fabled 45.52-carat deep blue stone set in a sculptural ribbon of 340 baguette diamonds set into platinum. Eight master jewellers devoted more than 1,000 hours to creating the necklace. This is the first time that the diamond has been exhibited in a new setting since it was given to the Smithsonian Museum in Washington by Mr. Winston in November 1958 to help found the National Gem Collection.