Provenance and Pedigree
Luxury brands, though, are not built overnight. Novel ideas, insider connections, and even a stockpile of extraordinary diamonds will not guarantee a brand’s success, especially in an industry where a new luxury purveyor is competing with jewelry retailers that are generational family businesses or, in the case of Tiffany’s, have been around for more than 160 years.

“First and foremost, diamond customers want to shop at a place they trust, and that trust is built over a long period of time,” says Jim Haag, global director of marketing and sales for Harry Winston. “Mr. [Ronald] Winston always said that a diamond-grading certificate does not define the beauty of a stone. Our clients rely on our sales executives to help them make a decision. And these relationships have been built over decades.”

An age-old luxury brand such as Harry Winston goes to great lengths to cultivate and maintain its long-standing client relationships. When well-heeled customers enter its palatial Fifth Avenue boutique, they are greeted by a trusted salesperson who knows them by name and is likely to recall their last purchase or gift. While the firm may change the way it obtains its stones, it is not likely to alter the way diamond purchases are so often based on trust and a handshake.

Among the veteran sales executives at Harry Winston is Richard Winston, who has been with the company 54 years and is Ronald Winston’s cousin. “When someone like Richard Winston calls a client on the phone and says you have to come in and see this stone,” says Haag, “you can be sure that it’s worth the visit.” 

Photos courtesy of Tiffany & Co and Harry Winston