Maharaja Bhupinder Singh and his 2,930-diamond Patiala necklace: Inside Cartier’s largest royal commission featuring a 234.65-Carat De Beers gem worth nearly Rs 1,000 crore today

Maharaja Bhupinder Singh: There are royal legends, and then there are stories so drenched in spectacle that they feel less like history and more like cinema paused mid-frame. The saga of Maharaja Bhupinder Singh belongs firmly to the latter category. In an era when monarchs across the world were cautiously adjusting to modern politics, he seemed determined to do the opposite: live larger, glitter brighter, and commission jewels that would make even Europe’s most storied courts blink twice. His world was a theatre of velvet canopies, ceremonial elephants, orchestras, and gemstones the size of mythology. At its centre shone an object so audacious that nearly a century later historians, collectors, and jewellers still speak of it in reverent tones—the Patiala Necklace, a creation of Cartier that did not merely adorn a ruler; it rewrote the language of luxury itself.

Yet beneath that radiance lies a quieter narrative about legacy, disappearance, and the strange afterlife of royal treasures once kingdoms fade. The Patiala dynasty’s jewels today are as much historical puzzles as ornaments, scattered across auctions, archives, and whispered anecdotes. And perhaps that is why their story refuses to dim.

What Made The Patiala Necklace Unlike Any Jewel Ever Created?

To call it a necklace feels almost inadequate. Completed in 1928 after roughly three years of painstaking work, it remains the largest single commission ever undertaken by Cartier. The piece incorporated close to 3,000 diamonds and numerous Burmese rubies, but its true spectacle was the colossal 234.65-carat yellow diamond from De Beers—then among the largest diamonds ever documented. Roughly golf-ball sized, it transformed the necklace from ornament into proclamation.

Contemporary accounts describe how, when worn during state processions in Patiala, the jewel caught sunlight so fiercely that spectators could spot its shimmer from palace balconies. Jewels, in princely India, were never mere decoration. They were diplomacy without words.

Why Was Jewellery A Political Statement For Indian Princes?

The colonial period imposed a curious paradox. Indian rulers retained titles and wealth but were expected to remain politically subdued under British authority. Jewellery became their silent rebuttal. A necklace of such magnitude declared that Indian craftsmanship, Indian stones, and Indian patronage could rival Europe’s crown jewels. In effect, Bhupinder Singh’s commission told the Empire: grandeur was not borrowed; it was inherited.

How Did The Necklace Vanish Without A Trace?

After Independence and the integration of princely states, royal treasuries underwent upheaval. Somewhere between 1948 and the early post-merger years, the original necklace disappeared. Decades later, fragments astonishingly resurfaced in a London second-hand shop, prompting Cartier to reconstruct a version using substitutes where stones were missing.

One surviving segment—the Patiala Choker—reappeared dramatically at auction at Christie's in New York in 2019, selling for nearly a million dollars. The great De Beers diamond, however, has never been traced. Its whereabouts remain one of jewellery history’s most tantalising mysteries.

Who Was The Man Behind The Magnificence?

Understanding the jewel requires understanding its patron. Bhupinder Singh ruled from 1900 to 1938 and quickly acquired a reputation as perhaps the most flamboyant modernising monarch in northern India. His state’s prosperity stemmed partly from loyalty shown to the British during earlier conflicts, which brought land revenues and political favour. He spent both lavishly.

He owned what is often cited as India’s first private aircraft around 1910. His polo teams were legendary. His court hosted musicians, diplomats, soldiers, and artisans in equal measure. Photographs show him layered in pearls, rubies, aigrettes, and sarpechs so elaborate that they resemble wearable architecture.

What Was The Royal Order Of Patiala?

Among his lesser-known yet exquisite commissions was the Royal Family Order of Patiala, created before 1911 by Boucheron at its maison in Place Vendôme. Designed with blue enamel garters inscribed in Gurmukhi reading “Tera gharu mera asay” (“Your home is my refuge”), it existed in two versions: diamond-studded for grand ceremonies and gold-and-enamel for more intimate occasions. The insignia symbolised a distinctive fusion of Sikh tradition and European court protocol.

Did The Maharaja Truly Travel With Boxes Of Gems?

Yes—and not metaphorically. Accounts from Paris recount that he once arrived with six caskets of precious stones to commission 149 individual pieces. One standout creation was a multi-layer ruby choker later gifted to Maharani Sri Bakhtawar Kaur Sahiba, which resurfaced nearly ninety years later and again captivated collectors. Few patrons in jewellery history have commissioned at such scale.

Royal women were not passive figures in this dynasty. Bakhtawar Kaur represented Patiala at imperial ceremonies and, during the 1911 Delhi Durbar, presented Queen Mary with an emerald-and-diamond brooch on behalf of the Ladies of India—a gesture as political as it was elegant.

Family lore also speaks of the Maharaja having 365 queens. Historians treat the number as symbolic rather than literal, yet it hints at the vastness of the royal zenana and its complex hierarchies.

Who Inherited The Throne After Bhupinder Singh?

Upon his death, his son Yadavindra Singh succeeded him, stepping into a drastically changing political landscape. Unlike many princely heirs, he embraced diplomacy. He oversaw Patiala’s merger into independent India in 1948 and later served as Rajpramukh of PEPSU until its union with Punjab in 1956. He was also an early patron of Indian cricket, donating land and funds long before the sport became commercially dominant.

Why Were The Maharajas’ Clothes As Important As Their Jewels?

Archival photographs reveal rulers draped in layered necklaces, gem-studded turbans, brooches, and cascading pearls. This was not vanity but visual statecraft. Each ornament functioned as insignia, signalling lineage, alliances, and authority at a glance. Interestingly, today’s fashion runways and bridal couture have revived this layered aesthetic, proving that royal style rarely disappears—it simply waits for its next era.

What Challenges Do The Descendants Face Today?

Post-Independence, former royal families entered a world without thrones or privy purses. Maintaining palaces, archives, and heirlooms requires vast resources. Legal disputes, property divisions, and financial pressures have led to dispersal of many artefacts. The lost Patiala Necklace stands as the most famous example of how heritage can fragment when history changes course.

Why Does The Patiala Legend Still Captivate Us?

Perhaps because it feels unfinished. Jewels vanish and resurface. Dynasties lose crowns yet retain memory. The Patiala story combines spectacle with poignancy: a ruler who dazzled empires, a necklace that stunned the world, and descendants who now safeguard history rather than rule it. If history were a treasure chest, the saga of Patiala would be its brightest ornament—proof that while kingdoms may fade, brilliance, once witnessed, is almost impossible to forget.