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Maharaja of Porbandar Necklace
Maharaja of Porbandar Necklace - Image 2
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Maharaja of Porbandar Necklace

The piece was a stunning Art Deco design made of platinum, set with 2,930 diamonds and numerous Burmese rubies. Its centerpiece was the "De Beers" diamond, a 234.65-carat yellow diamond that was the seventh-largest in the world at the time.
Article Rarity: One Of It's Kind - Rarest
Article Worthiness: Invaluable

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  • Commissioned for a maharaja The necklace was made for Maharaja Bhupinder Singh, a ruler known for his lavish lifestyle and vast collection of jewels. In 1925, he gave Cartier a trunk of precious gemstones, and the final necklace was completed in 1928.
  • Original design The piece was a stunning Art Deco design made of platinum, set with 2,930 diamonds and numerous Burmese rubies. Its centerpiece was the “De Beers” diamond, a 234.65-carat yellow diamond that was the seventh-largest in the world at the time.
  • The disappearance The necklace was inherited by the maharaja’s son, Yadavindra Singh. It was last seen in a 1946 photograph before it vanished from the royal treasury around 1948.
The recovery and restoration
  • Found dismantled For decades, the necklace’s whereabouts were unknown. Then, in 1982, the central “De Beers” diamond resurfaced and was sold at a Sotheby’s auction in Geneva.
  • Cartier intervenes In 1998, a Cartier associate found the remains of the necklace’s platinum setting in a second-hand jewelry store in London. All the major jewels were gone.
  • Recreated with replicas Cartier purchased the necklace’s frame and spent four years restoring it, replacing the missing precious stones with cubic zirconia, synthetic diamonds, and other less valuable substitutes. 
The necklace today
  • Controversial appearances The restored necklace remains in the Cartier archives. It gained renewed attention when it was loaned to influencer Emma Chamberlain for the 2022 Met Gala, sparking debate over cultural heritage.
  • Recent headlines In 2025, Punjabi singer Diljit Dosanjh paid tribute to his heritage by wearing a replica of the Patiala necklace to the Met Gala after Cartier reportedly denied his request to borrow the original, stating it was housed in a museum. This decision drew criticism and further fueled discussions about the necklace’s complex history.

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