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Struggling to find the right biography for the history fan? Try “King of Diamonds: Harry Winston” by Ronald Winston & William Stadiem (Skyhorse Publishing, Inc). It’s the Gilded Age story of a rags-to-riches man whose name meant “diamonds” to generations of fine jewelry-wearers, and the times in which he lived.”
‘King of Diamonds’ explores the dramatic life of jeweler Harry Winston
The world associates the name Harry Winston with glamour and jewels – it’s synonymous with Hollywood stars, royal families and captains of industry. Marilyn Monroe ushered the name into legend when she breathlessly sang, “Talk to me, Harry Winston; tell me all about it!” in 1953’s classic movie “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.”
But for his eldest and only living son, Ronald Winston, the man behind the brand seems to have been a complicated person, as well as a hard-to-live-up-to icon.
The opening pages of “King of Diamonds: Harry Winston, The Definitive Biography of An American Icon,” by Ronald Winston and William Stadiem, contain a telling episode from the author’s childhood: His famous jeweler father was “bouncing me around, having a wonderful time” in the family’s plush New York apartment.
Then suddenly, Winston dropped his son “hard and fast” onto the rug, shocking the child.
As young Ronald begins to cry, the famed jeweler tells him, “Never trust anyone in life. Not even your own father.”
The Story of the King of Diamonds
“Talk to me, Harry Winston. Tell me all about it,” Marilyn Monroe purred in “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend,” the song in the 1953 movie “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” that named one of New York’s pre-eminent jewelers.
Now his son Ronald is telling all about it, too, in a new book describing his father’s rise in the jewelry business and the lengthy legal battle over the company with his brother, Bruce, that followed his father’s death in 1978. (The company has been owned by the Swiss watch manufacturer Swatch Group since 2013.)
The book’s title, “King of Diamonds: Harry Winston, the Definitive Biography of an American Icon,” tapped the “King of Diamonds” description that Cosmopolitan magazine used in 1947 and that stuck with the jeweler throughout his life.
The 57 Must-Read Books of Fall 2023
Famed American jeweler Harry Winston's son, Ronald Winston, has teamed up with author William Stadiem, for a definitive biography of his father. Harry's is a quintessential American story: The son of poor Jewish immigrants, he built a luxury empire, and was called the "King of Diamonds." After his death, his sons Ronald and Bruce were locked in an intense legal battle for control of the company, with Ronald eventually buying out Bruce.
Diamond-Filled Books to Devour This Fall
You can’t judge a book by its cover, but you can certainly judge one by its title. And King of Diamonds says it all. Published 65 years after famed jeweler Harry Winston donated the 45-carat Hope Diamond to the Smithsonian Institution, his only living son, Ronald Winston, has penned a biography that offers an enlightening glimpse into the life of a man who once owned a third of the world’s most famous gems. Replete with stories about all of the business rivalries, red-carpet loans, and high-profile clients you could ask for, it’s as glamorous as nonfiction gets.
Oldest son chronicles life of diamond pioneer Harry Winston
At 82 years old, lifelong Scarsdale resident Ronald Winston knows it’s time to start planning for the future. He spent the last decade working on a book about his diamond industry pioneer father, Harry Winston, and he’s planning to give away the precious stones and jewelry left in his collection.
Ronald Winston tells all in the book, “King of Diamonds: Harry Winston, The Definitive Biography of an American Icon” with Williams Stadiem (Skyhorse Press), which comes out Sept. 19. It’s the story of his father’s rise from poverty to create a market for large stones; his own entrance into the business, taking the company global and connecting with the stars via the Oscars; and the very public decade-long dispute over the company with his younger brother, Bruce.
From Jewelry-Themed Wall Decor to a Thrilling Biography of Harry Winston, This Is the Latest Gear for Jewelry Pros
Talk to Us, Ronald Winston
King Of Diamonds: The Definitive Biography of an American Icon is a deep dive into the fascinating life of Harry Winston written by his only living son. The book offers glitz and glamour, but also divulges shocking details of business rivalries, treacherous colleagues, vindictive clients, and backstabbing family members, as well as jewelry history. A thrilling tale of entrepreneurship and an enthralling look into one of the jewelry industry’s most famous self-made men.
Interview With Ronald Winston, on His Father Harry
Ronald Winston admits he sometimes got emotional as he researched the life of his famed father for his new book, King of Diamonds: Harry Winston, the Definitive Biography of an American Icon.
In the book—which can be preordered prior to its publication by Skyhorse this fall—Winston, 82, charts his father’s remarkable climb to the top, as well as the tumultuous three decades Ronald headed the company following Harry’s death in 1978.
Winston talked with JCK about what made his father so special, the family feud that almost killed the company, and his memories of Donald Trump, Ross Perot, and Jonas Savimbi.
A New Book Delves Into the Dramatic Life of Harry Winston
One of the famed jeweler’s sons has written a biography on the “King of Diamonds.”
New York—Anyone involved in a family business knows it can be a recipe for drama.
It was no different for the family of Harry Winston, according to a forthcoming biography, “King of Diamonds: Harry Winston, the Definitive Biography of an American Icon,” written by his eldest son, Ronald Winston, alongside author William Stadiem.
In the book out this fall from Skyhorse Publishing—a publishing house with its own share of drama—readers will get one perspective on the protracted years-long battle between Winston’s sons, Ronald and Bruce Winston, that culminated in the company’s sale about two decades after Harry’s death in 1978.