Cartier has long been the favoured house for royalty, celebrities and the mega rich. This necklace was commissioned by the Maharaja of Patiala in 1928 and it is an interesting fusion of deco and Moghul styles. The multiple strands, the silk ties, the placememt of the jewels, all speak to the wondrous Indian history of fabulous jewel display and design. The overall look of the piece is pure Cartier. Cartier notes that the original piece was comprised of 2,930 diamonds with a total carat weight of nearly 1000. No, that is not a typo. The large yellow diamond, the size of a golf ball, was the DeBeers, weighing 234.69 carats. In terms of size, the Patiala necklace would cover the entire chest – it is massive. And another reference to traditional Indian jewellery, where the men wore very elaborate pearl and gem set necklaces to show their high rank.

Over the year, the owners sold off pieces and stones so in its current incarnation, the Patiala necklace is a hybrid, featuring some of the original platinum and diamond set chains, and a fair number of replacement cubic zirconia stones. It is still an impressive sight. Part of the Victoria and Albert Museum’s “Maharajah” exhibit last year, it is now on display at Toronto’s Art Gallery of Ontario until April 3 as part of the touring “Maharajah” show.