7 Rings: Winnie Harlow Shines Bright in Diamonds
Meet 7 Rings: A series that pays tribute to the jewelry designers, models, artists, celebs, and other fabulous people who are redefining diamonds on their own terms.
If you don’t know her name yet, you definitely know her face: At just 25 years old, Winnie Harlow is one of the most recognizable models in the world. Born in Canada to Jamaican parents, Winnie spun an Instagram following into a turn on America’s Next Top Model… where she was eliminated, which is wild. But it was all for the best—because soon after, Beyoncé called, Winnie made an unforgettable cameo in the Lemonade visual album, and the rest is history. Now Winnie walks the runways for big-deal designers, serves as a brand ambassador for Tommy Hilfiger and Puma, is a budding beauty impresario with her instantly sold-out KKW Beauty collection, and is a vocal advocate of diversity in the fashion and beauty industries as both a woman of color and a person with vitiligo.
Winnie is also hands down one of our biggest style crushes. She has a chameleon-like ability to exude confidence and cool in everything she wears, from ‘90s-inspired streetwear to show-stopping, full-glam red carpet looks. Winnie also has a major way with natural diamonds—in fact, she loves the sparkling stones so much, she modeled in a shoot inspired by Marilyn Monroe’s iconic musical number, “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend.” Okay, maybe that’s overstating it—but check out the exquisite looks ahead, and you’ll agree: diamonds definitely help a girl make an entrance.
Read on for Winnie Harlow’s most stunning diamond pieces so far.
Otherworldly Glow at Chopard’s Space Party
At Chopard’s space-themed party at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival, Winnie proved that when it comes to diamond accessories, sometimes one knockout piece of statement jewelry is all you need. The model wore a custom couture gown by Zuhair Murad, simple black satin heels, and just one absolute stunner diamond pendant necklace: a collarbone-grazing necklace from iconic Swiss jeweler Chopard’s high jewellery collection. Rumored to be worth over $20 million, the necklace featured a 52.76-carat pear-shaped green emerald surrounded by over 200 interlocking marquise diamonds so bright they seemed lit from within.
Gentlemanly Gems at GQ Men of the Year Awards
Winnie didn’t just do “menswear-inspired” for the 2019 GQ Men of the Year Awards in London —she did actual menswear, stepping out in a perfectly fitted black satin suit straight off the runway of Prada’s Fall 2019 men’s collection. And because no suit is complete without some sparkle, she added a vintage Bulgari diamond bangle bracelet, diamond drop earrings, chunky rings, and a diamond choker necklace from iconic diamond jeweler Piaget. Winnie’s crystal-studded bag was the icing on this very icy cake. This is how you stand out in a sea of basic black dresses, people!
Subtle Sparkle at Glamour Women of the Year Awards
At the 2017 Glamour Women of the Year Awards, Winnie proved why she’s our ongoing style obsession: her rare ability to look completely at ease in both streetwear and couture. Honestly, we thought we were over the naked dress until we saw Winnie’s sheer Alberta Ferretti gown with its fluted, feathered train. And true to her “less is more” jewelry ethos, Winnie lent her look some sparkle with just a few simple, elegant diamond pieces: most notably, her chunky, tazantine, rubellite, and diamond encrusted statement ring and matching diamond drop earrings from Mozafarian Brand.
Snow Princess at the 2018 Met Gala
Prefer “extra” to “subtle”? Don’t worry — Winnie definitely does extra. At the 2018 Met Gala, Winnie shut it down in her snow-white organza and silk Tommy Hilfiger ball gown, a chandelier-grazing custom headpiece featuring pearls and white lace, and the most spectacular diamond jewels we’ve ever seen her in, all from Bulgari’s ultra-luxe High Jewelry collection. Let’s count it down: Winnie wore Bvlgari Diva’s Dream bracelets featuring 18k white gold and pavé diamonds on each wrist (her exact styles aren’t online, but ones from the same collection start at $7,000), no fewer than six diamond rings, including two Griffe rings featuring solitaire diamonds set in a platinum band valued at about $20,000 each), and one stunning statement necklace featuring diamond-studded leaves and tendrils that echoed her crown’s floral theme. Since it’s a fully custom piece and boasts literally hundreds of natural diamonds, we’d estimate its worth as somewhere between “astronomical” and “priceless” — but it’s a small price to pay to shine on the world’s most exclusive red carpet.
