Harry Winston

Ever since Harry Winston draped actress Jennifer Jones in diamonds at the Oscars more than half a century ago, the jewelry company has been synonymous with glamour and fame. From the legacy of Hope Diamond to the sparkle of the red carpet, Winston diamonds have become an icon of international glamour, earning the company a nomination for Luxist's best jewelry line award.

The son of turn-of-the-century Ukrainian immigrants, Winston was a savvy gem-hunter from an early age. As legend has it, a 12-year-old Winston recognized a two-carat emerald in a New York pawnshop, bought it for 25 cents, and sold it two days later for $800. In 1932, he opened his own store, focusing on buying stodgy collections to re-cut, re-set and re-sell.

In 1949, Winston purchased the Hope Diamond from the estate of socialite Evalyn Walsh McLean, who had acquired the gem from Pierre Cartier nearly forty years earlier. Over the next decade, Winston highlighted the stone in his "Court of Jewels," exhibited to audiences across the country -- but not before daringly re-cutting it to increase its brilliance. Winston donated the stone to the Smithsonian in 1958, reportedly sending it in a plain brown paper bag via U.S. Mail.

Winston passed away in 1978 and the company is now publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (HWD). Today, the company's gems adorn stars from Halle Berry to Madonna. They're also available to the public through Harry Winston Jewelers' two-dozen stores across the world. Just be sure to pack a hefty checkbook before shopping -- Winston rings usually start at around $10,000.

Cast your vote for the Readers' Choice Awards at http://www.luxist.com/awards-vote/accessories-awards.

Gallery: More from Harry Winston

There is something too decadent about a conveyor belt made out of diamonds, but this is the idea in Harry Winston's new Opus 9 watch. This is the second new luxury watch this year to feature a belt system, though the Christophe Claret DualTow does it a little bit differently. In the Opus 9, two chains of 33 baguette cut diamonds and one garnet, are pulled with the garnet used to indicate the hour and minute as it corresponds to the adjacent hour or minute meters. The system is incredibly simple looking, but of course highly complex inside the automatic mechanical movement.

The case is constructed out of 18k white gold and is a hefty 56mm tall by 48mm wide, and 20mm thick. The look is functional given the needs of the movement operation, but still classy. It will remind you of the look of the Cabestan winch-wound watch. As a limited edition of 100 pieces the Opus 9 is an interesting addition to the Harry Winston watch line. It makes clever use of diamonds, which is important to the brand which is first and foremost a jewelry maker. The strap is black alligator and looks handsome against the brushed and polished surfaces of the Opus 9's case. Look for it at select Harry Winston boutiques and dealers soon.

Ariel Adams publishes the watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.