A house whose stones do the talking, so the setting has to be invisible and perfect.
Founded 1932New York4 weighted checks
Harry Winston built its reputation on stones rather than on design, and its signature setting technique reflects that: metal is minimised so the diamonds appear to float, held by settings that are barely visible from above. That is technically demanding work and it is where a copy fails.
The house's pieces are hallmarked and signed, and its serials are recorded. Because the volume is small and the prices are high, outright counterfeits are less common than at Tiffany or Van Cleef — but the pieces are valuable enough that they exist.
For any Harry Winston piece of consequence, the practical route is the house itself: its salons will inspect pieces and its records are the authority.
Pieces are signed and hallmarked with the metal content, and carry a serial. The marks are struck cleanly at even depth. Because production volumes are small, the house's own records are the practical authority on any individual piece.
Harry Winston salons will inspect pieces submitted for service. That is the strongest check available and it is worth using on anything at this value.
Stones in significant pieces are usually accompanied by laboratory reports, which should be verified independently through the issuing laboratory's own service.
Ordered by how much each one settles. The decisive checks are the ones worth your first five minutes; the supporting ones only matter once those are clean.
The house's signature approach minimises metal so stones appear to float, held by settings barely visible from above. Reproducing that requires precise work; a copy shows heavier, more visible metal because that is easier to make and holds the stones with less skill.
The house selects stones to a consistent standard and matches them across a piece for colour and clarity. Visible variation between stones in a line or a cluster is inconsistent with the house's work.
Struck cleanly at even depth with sharp edges, alongside the metal content mark and a serial. Laser-etched or shallow marks are failures.
Significant stones come with reports that should be verified through the issuing laboratory's own service, and the report's measurements should match the stone. Reports travel separately from jewellery and prove nothing on their own.
Lovenhall DiamondThe checks tell you how it was made. The instrument tells you what it appears to be, and roughly what its kind fetches.