Exquisite heirloom pieces
Indian royal families have been royally flaunting their massive wealth through their breathtaking forts, palaces and jewellery. From Kashmiri Sapphires to Golconda diamonds, the Indian royals have seen and owned it all. Jewellery has long been an integral part of India's traditional and aesthetic identity, more so, among the rulers of the land. Here's looking at some of the incredibly exquisite jewels owned by the royal families of India.
Patiala ruby choker
Created by Cartier Paris in the year 1931, this Patiala ruby choker was a magnificent choker necklace made in platinum. Rubies, pearls and diamonds were used to make this phenomenal piece of jewellery. Just the upper part of the necklace consisted of six layers of rubies with diamonds as well as pearls on the sides. The centre part of the necklace contains rubies with pearls while the lowermost part of the necklace was the heaviest of all with pearls and diamonds.
Diamond serpech - Maharaja Duleep Sing of Lahore
Maharaja Duleep Singh of Lahore, the last Maharaja of the Sikh empire is seen wearing a marvelous diamond serpech. It is basically an accessory that is made for the turban. The three plumes are entirely made of diamonds with a dazzling emerald placed right in the centre. Just by looking at this portrait of the Maharaja, you can tell that he had impeccable taste in jewellery ranging from earrings to layered neckpieces and bazubandhs.
Sita Devi of Baroda's diamond necklace
A 3-tiered diamond necklace consisting of an impressive 128 carat Star of the South diamond was worn by Maharani Sita Devi of Baroda. It also had a 78.5 carat English Dresden diamond in it. The Mulhar Rao, the Gaekwar of Baroda bought the Star of South for £80,000, or about 20 million INR. Later on, this piece of jewellery was bought by Rustomjee Jamsetjee of Mumbai and sold to Cartier in 2002.
The Patiala necklace
The Patiala necklace owned by Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala had the seventh largest diamond in the world adorned on it. This diamond was mined in South Africa in 1888. And that's how the famous story of the lost Patiala Necklace begins. The Maharaja was 34 when he decided to turn the De Beers diamond into an heirloom piece and commissioned Cartier to make a ceremonial necklace with the De Beers diamond being its centerpiece. The necklace was finally made in 1928 and it came to be known as the Patiala Necklace. It has five rows of platinum chains embellished with 2930 diamonds and some Burmese rubies. This was the most expensive piece of jewellery ever made in the history and it would have costed some 30 million dollars today in its original form. His handsome son Yadavindra Singh can be seen adorning this beautiful necklace in the picture.
Diamond crown on Maharaja of Kapurthala
Wearing a beautiful diamond crown and a 12-string Basra pearl necklace along with a bejeweled diamond belt, the Maharaja of Kapurthala always had an affinity for grand jewels. The Maharaja is seen wearing a traditional sherwani with gold brocade embroidery with his typical sash and the Star of India brooch, an honour conferred to select Indian rulers by the British Crown. Just by a look at this portrait, you can tell how the Maharaja had a clear liking for his royal jewels and a keen eye for style, design as well as presentation.