Harry Winston's eldest son, Ronald Winston, has donated the Winston Fancy Colour Diamond Collection. The collection features stones in various colours, from peach to teal, and sizes as large as 9.49 carats.
The collection was amassed over the past six decades, and among the more interesting stones is the Winston Red, a 2.33-carat fancy colour diamond. National Museum of Natural History director Kirk Johnson it would be an exhibit not to be missed.
“This ranks among the most significant gifts ever received by the Smithsonian,” he said.
“The Winston diamonds are unprecedented in their beauty and rarity, and we are thrilled to welcome them as additions to our National Gem Collection. We extend our gratitude to Ronald Winston for making this gift to the nation possible.”
A study of the Winston Red is expected to appear in an upcoming issue of Gems & Gemology, the Gemological Institute of America’s quarterly journal.
“The red diamond is the highlight of my career, and I have never seen anything else like it,” Winston said.
“This donation to the museum represents my life’s achievements in this domain, and I am so happy to share this collection with the [Smithsonian] Institution and the museum’s visitors.”
The collection will be displayed in the Winston Gallery, which houses the Hope Diamond, donated by Winston in the 1950s.
More reading
Legal fight for legendary diamond concludes
Blue beauty: Fancy colour diamonds impress at auction
Do auctions raise the profile of fancy colour diamonds?
The Hope and Koh-i-noor: New insights into the world's most famous diamonds
Vienna 1900: Sotheby’s winds back the clock with jewellery auction
World of Heidi Horten auction breaks jewellery world record
The Pink Diamond Love Affair - The Creators & Consumers
The World's Most Famous Diamonds