HARRY WINSTON BRINGS “RARE JEWELS OF THE WORLD” TO SHANGHAI

The House of Harry Winston is set to present Rare Jewels of the World, a major high jewellery and timepiece exhibition at the Shanghai Exhibition Centre from 7 to 13 September 2026. Bringing together more than 165 creations, the exhibition offers an expansive look at the House’s heritage, from its founder’s early fascination with exceptional gemstones to the distinctive jewellery language that continues to shape its collections.

Rather than presenting the pieces as an isolated collection of precious objects, the exhibition has been conceived as a chronological and immersive exploration of Harry Winston’s history. Ten galleries will guide visitors through different chapters of the Maison’s story, combining jewels, watches, archival material, photography and moving images.

At its centre is the legacy of Harry Winston himself. Born in 1896, Winston developed an extraordinary reputation as a dealer and collector of exceptional gemstones before establishing the House that bears his name in New York in 1932. His influence extended beyond the acquisition of rare stones. He was known for his distinctive approach to mounting diamonds, often allowing the stones themselves to dictate the design and minimising the presence of metal around them.

That philosophy became an important part of the House’s visual identity and helped establish Harry Winston’s association with extraordinary diamonds. Today, the Maison remains closely linked to high jewellery, exceptional gemstones and a New York sensibility expressed through refined, stone-led design.

The exhibition begins with the founder’s early years, using previously unseen photographs and video footage to provide context around the man behind the Maison. The Heritage Tunnel establishes this historical foundation before visitors move into the Vintage Gallery, where creations from the House archives illustrate the development of its jewellery vocabulary across decades.

One of the most recognisable motifs explored throughout the exhibition is the Winston Cluster. Introduced as an expression of Harry Winston’s ability to arrange diamonds in natural, organic compositions, the design has evolved through numerous interpretations while retaining its characteristic sense of movement. The exhibition places this language alongside examples of the craftsmanship and setting techniques for which the House has become known.

The story then extends beyond New York. A dedicated gallery examines Harry Winston’s relationship with China, a connection that carries particular significance in 2026. This year marks 30 years since the House presented its first exhibition at the Palace Museum in Beijing’s Forbidden City. The milestone provides an opportunity to revisit the relationship between the Maison and the country through a selection of historical moments and creations.

New York remains another important thread. Harry Winston’s affinity with the city is represented through an interactive Central Park experience, which leads visitors towards two high jewellery galleries. The setting references the city that has remained central to the House’s identity while providing a backdrop for an exceptional selection of one-of-a-kind jewels.

Among the most significant stones on display is the Winston Pink Legacy. Weighing 18.96 carats, the fancy vivid pink diamond carries a direct connection to Harry Winston himself: its carat weight corresponds to the year of his birth, 1896. Its combination of size and intense pink colour places it among the rarest category of coloured diamonds.

The stone’s presence also reflects a fundamental part of the House’s history. Harry Winston built his reputation around the acquisition of remarkable diamonds and gemstones, often transforming exceptional stones into jewellery that preserved their visual impact. The Winston Pink Legacy continues that tradition, standing as both a gemstone of extraordinary rarity and a piece closely associated with the Maison.

Another major highlight is the Rockefeller-Winston Emerald. Originally associated with the Rockefeller family, the 18.03-carat emerald was later entrusted to Harry Winston’s artisans, who set it within a Winston-style ring surrounded by diamonds. Its history brings together provenance, gemmological rarity and the craftsmanship involved in giving an exceptional stone a new setting.

The pairing of the two gemstones illustrates the breadth of the exhibition. One is distinguished by its extraordinary pink hue and connection to the House’s founder; the other by its provenance and saturated green colour. Together, they demonstrate why exceptional gemstones have remained central to Harry Winston’s identity.

Alongside these stones, visitors will encounter one-of-a-kind high jewellery pieces and timepieces representing different periods of the House’s development. The exhibition examines the craftsmanship behind these creations as carefully as their finished appearance, drawing attention to the processes through which rare stones become wearable works of jewellery.

That emphasis is particularly relevant to Harry Winston’s heritage. The Maison’s identity has historically been shaped not simply by the rarity of the stones it acquires, but by the way those stones are cut, arranged and presented. Proportion, setting and the relationship between diamonds and coloured gemstones remain essential to the visual character of its creations.

The House of Harry Winston was founded in New York in 1932, growing from Harry Winston’s earlier career in the gemstone trade. Winston became internationally recognised for handling some of the most significant diamonds of the 20th century, earning the enduring nickname “King of Diamonds”. His approach to jewellery was rooted in the belief that exceptional stones should remain visually dominant, a principle that continues to influence the Maison’s high jewellery collections and design vocabulary.

In Shanghai, that heritage will be presented not simply as a retrospective, but as a continuing narrative. The exhibition moves from archival material and historic jewels towards contemporary creations, allowing visitors to consider how the House’s visual codes have developed without losing their connection to its origins.

The timing also gives the exhibition particular significance for the Maison’s relationship with China. Three decades after its first exhibition at the Palace Museum, bringing Rare Jewels of the World to Shanghai creates another chapter in a relationship that has become part of Harry Winston’s international story.

Open to the public from 7 to 13 September at the Shanghai Exhibition Centre, the exhibition offers a rare opportunity to encounter an unusually broad selection of Harry Winston jewellery and timepieces in one setting. Reservations are available through the House’s dedicated WeChat mini programme.

For a Maison whose history has been shaped by extraordinary stones, the exhibition ultimately places the gemstone at the centre of the narrative. From the founder’s early acquisitions to the Winston Pink Legacy and Rockefeller-Winston Emerald, Rare Jewels of the World traces a philosophy in which rarity is only the beginning. The enduring fascination lies in what skilled hands, considered design, and a distinctive point of view can make of it.