The Maharaja of Patiala's diamond necklaceArchived Message
Posted by JohnAF on November 22, 2011, 3:36 pm
I recently received some information from the Hotel Beau Rivage in Geneva where they are renovating a suite named after the Maharaja of Patiala. Included in this information was the story of his diamond necklace 'the largest piece of jewelry ever made'. In 1888 a yellow diamond was discovered in South Africa weighing 428 carats & after it was cut 234.65 carats, the largest yellow octahedron diamond in the world. It was called the De Beers diamond & was acquired by the Maharaja of Patiala. In 1928 he ordered a necklace from Cartier - 2930 diamonds with the De Beers as the centrepiece. There were also seven other large diamonds in the necklace weighing between 18 and 73 carats as well as several Burmese rubies. The necklace was last seen worn by the Maharaja's son just befor the end of the British Raj. It then disappeared. In 1982 the diamond reappeared at a Southeby's auction & sold for $3.16 milion. Sixteen years later someone discovered the rest of the necklace in a second-hand jewelry shop in London. The important stones had disappeared, unsurprisingly. Cartier bought this skeleton & spent four years restoring it, using synthetic stones. Wouldn't it make a great story if the necklace could tell its tale? Also, the Indian Princes were famed for their jewels, I wonder how much they still retain.
on November 22, 2011, 3:36 pm