For many of us it would be a dream to be born into a wealthy family, where there is always a safety net to catch you if you fall. We have seen many that have had that advantage and throw it all away. There are many reasons why that happens, for one, knowing that you always received everything you wanted while growing up. For some it is hard to live up to the success that your family has achieved or for some they are just plain lazy and reckless. There is a lot to be said for someone who rises above all that wealth and is able to take it to the next level.

One such person that comes to mind is Ronald Winston, the son of Harry Winston, the king of jeweler’s to the super rich and famous. This was where many of the world’s most famous and expensive gems have passed through. He graduated from Harvard in 1963 with a degree chemistry, which was his first love. In fact, if he wasn’t in the family business he probably would have been a scientist.

While in Boston he worked at MIT doing research on rocket propulsion, the study of how rockets a machine, develops thrust by the rapid expulsion of matter. Think when blowing into a balloon, filling it with air, covering it and then releasing it as it bursts flying into the air. In 1961 and 1962 he was awarded the American Rocket Society Award by developing a new form of rocket fuel that was safe to use by amateur rocket designers.

Continuing his passion for science, in 1972 he co-invented and patented the method where surgeons would be able to seal sutures with ultrasonic vibrations, while working as a director at Ultrasonic Systems, Inc, in Farmingdale, NY. This tells a lot about a person’s character, being able to follow his passion and dreams when he could have just sat back and do nothing, but this was not who he was.

Ronald entered the family business in 1965 in his 20’s at the request of his father, he was the third generation to do so. In 1978 when his dad passed away he assumed control of the company, running it just like his father did, providing some of the world’s most precious and expensive gems catering to the elite of the elite.

To him, gems were something special that needed to be admired, for its brilliant sparkles and exquisite colors. He utilized his science background when it came to combining the technical mechanism with the delicacy of diamonds, especially when he skillfully designed and developed two different series of watches to women, while paying tribute to his dad. His desire to always learn, and improve on what was being done was unsurpassed.

Under his guidance and leadership the building where Winston presided expanded from two stories into a global company along with a significant watch business in Switzerland. It has been more than seven years since Ronald Winston has retired, but he still provides his years of experience when needed. He now has time to pursue his other passions, such as writing a book and focusing on AIDS research, somewhere his father is smiling down at him.