Famously, Bhupinder Singh’s love affair with European jewellery houses stretched far beyond Boucheron to Cartier in a story that somehow manages to dull the grandeur of his Place Vendôme commission. The Cartier archive reveals that the ceremonial Patiala Necklace was born from a trunk of jewels sent to their workshop in Paris. The Maharaja had handpicked jeweller Louis Cartier to craft a magical jewel that married influences from the East and West.

The jewellery piece totalled 962.25 carats, and featured the seventh largest polished diamond in the world, the De Beers yellow diamond, which accounted for over 234 carats. And let’s not forget the other 2,900 diamonds that adorned five rows of platinum chains found on the necklace. It remains one of the most outstanding pieces of jewellery to ever be made and is estimated to be worth around US$30 million in today’s currency. 

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The Maharaja’s name recently resurfaced in a bit of Internet controversy as multi-faceted influencer Emma Chamberlain donned his diamond collar at the 2022 Met Gala: Gilded Glamour. In a Vogue video, a team member presents tray after tray of jewels trimmed with the classic red and gold Cartier border, and the last piece to be presented is the Maharaja’s choker.

“It is one of the most intense but beautiful pieces of jewellery I’ve ever seen”, exclaimed Chamberlain. “During the Gilded Age, it was all about being extravagant, and I’ve never seen a more extravagant necklace”. Well, she’s not wrong. The necklace that Chamberlain was presented with was last seen paired with none other than the Patiala Necklace, which had gone mysteriously missing a few decades after its creation.

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There have been some sensationalised takes on how and why the necklace was last seen in 1948 and over 80 years later landed on the neck of the 20-year old American It-girl. A quick look into history will clear up any suspicions. In 1947, after India gained Independence from British rule, the royal houses were in financially choppy waters and looked to liquidate their easy-to-move assets.

This had to be handled sensitively for two reasons: it would have been embarrassing for royalty to be selling off their treasures, and there could have been legal implications from the government over what may or may not have been considered state property. The magnitude of the pieces means it would be near impossible to sell or pawn them in India, and they would have been easily recognisable. Instead, these pieces, including the Patiala Necklace, were likely dismantled and sold in Europe. 

The De Beers yellow diamond made its journey to Geneva where it was found at auction in 1982, as reported by the New York Times: “The diamond was shown at the Paris Exhibition of 1889 and was later purchased, it is said, by royalty. The stone, which resurfaced in Europe recently, is described by Sotheby's as having very few impurities for its size.”

Most of the remainder of the necklace ended up back at the start of its journey, with Cartier, only this time in London. Cartier detailed that the central and largest stones were missing, but conscious of the cultural and historical significance of the necklace, they worked for four years to restore the piece to its once immaculate condition.

Cartier called this as an “unprecedented adventure”. Of course, even Cartier couldn’t conjure up some of these irreplaceable gems, so cubic zirconium and synthetic rubies were used until such a time as the required stones were found. The location of the De Beers diamond remains undisclosed—and perhaps rightfully so. 

Although Indian monarchical families have since been stripped of their titles, this will certainly not be the last we hear, or see, of Maharaja Bhupinder Singh and his jewellery collection. 

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