People. Drama. Romance. Excitement.

That is the mantra of Harry Winston, the iconic American jewelry firm. When Harry Winston opens its jewelry salon in Ala Moana Center today, Islanders will have a window into the world of celebrities and royalty for whom the sky's the limit when it comes to gemstones and jewelry.

The salon, designed by renowned architect Thierry Despont, will be a treasure trove of precious diamond jewelry and time pieces of the sort worn by celebrities at the Academy Awards. In fact, Harry Winston jewels have become a sort of good-luck charm for Oscar hopefuls.

Harry Winston was the first jewelry house to recognize the power of the connection between beautiful jewels and Hollywood goddesses. Elizabeth Taylor, Gwyneth Paltrow, Emmy Rossum, Halle Berry and Teri Hatcher are just a few of the stars who have worn Harry Winston pieces on the red carpet.

While a few of the high-end boutiques in Honolulu have in the past given local people the cold shoulder, Golbarg Parstabar, who heads up the Harry Winston team here (see box, right), says, "Browsers are as welcome as anyone else. We want to slow down the time for them and help them forget about anything outside, to share the heritage of Harry Winston and what we offer. This is what our shopping experience is all about. We are a unique piece of Americana."

Sales staff at the new salon consists of local people plucked from other luxury goods stores. A team of Harry Winston trainers came in from the Mainland to conduct specialized classes in the art of service. "We want to give Hawai'i the best effort we possibly can and earn the respect of the local community that has given us a chance to expand our business," Parstabar said.

It will be interesting to see how jewelry purchases divide along gender lines in Honolulu. In Japan, Parstabar said, most purchases are made by women. In Las Vegas, there are more men shopping for women or couples shopping together. In New York, it's mainly couples. However, she added, "Women are a force to be reckoned with when it comes to shopping" for jewels.

Among the offerings at the Harry Winston salon will be the Marquesa Collection, which was introduced last month. Inspired by the flight of the butterfly, the 22-piece collection includes cascading necklaces, chandelier earrings, rings and pendants fashioned from marquise diamonds and platinum wire with a minimum of visible metal to maximize the star power of the diamonds.

Harry Winston is not a place to shop for a stocking stuffer. Prices start at about $10,000 for an engagement ring and go up into the stratosphere.

Pieces can be, and often are, designed specifically for a customer, and "can be as grand as your imagination," Parstabar said. Three designers in New York work directly with customers to fulfill their dreams.

Reach Paula Rath at prath@honoluluadvertiser.com.