Lost Treasures: The Glorious Age of the Maharajas of Patiala

November 9, 2020

By Olga Guseva

8 min read

Indian royalty has always been synonymous with jewellery – not just for women but also men too, who loved to bedeck themselves lavishly in jewels. Such adornments were a way of establishing structure and hierarchy within a royal family. Many royal dynasties had their own trusted jewellers, but this did not stop them from admiring the creations of European jewellery brands. Unfortunately, battles on the world’s political map contributed to the dispersion of valuable jewels across time and space, with only a few, select pieces retaining their former grandeur and radiance. Let’s take a look at some of the historical jewels that are still with us today.

The Jewellery of Maharaja Bhupinder Singh

We begin with jewellery from the largest and most developed region of India: Patiala. In 1925, the 25-year-old Maharaja Bhupinder Singh travelled to Paris, bringing with him numerous boxes of precious stones: diamonds, emeralds, sapphires, pearls and rubies of the highest quality. The chief purpose of his visit was political, but he also decided to test the skills of Cartier’s jewellers during his stay. That same year, the brand was taking part in the International Exhibition of Contemporary Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris. 

Cartier and the Maharajahs 

The Cartier display was one of the most prominent and, thanks to an order made by the Maharaja of Nawanagar, Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji, Cartier had managed to establish a name for itself among India’s rulers. A prototype of a ceremonial necklace with “only” 350 carats of diamonds so pleased Bhupinder Singh that he became a regular client of Cartier. In 1937, he asked them to take the “Tiger’s Eye” – an unusual cognac-coloured diamond – and design an Art Deco jewel for a turban. The Maharaja also donated 116 family Burmese rubies weighing over 170 carats. As it turned out, the necklace created by the Maison was not to stay with the Maharaja for long: by the early 1950s, it was returned to Cartier to be sold.

The Maharaja Digvijaysinhji of Nawanagar commissioned Cartier to create this stunning ruby necklace in 1937

A replica of the necklace Jacques Cartier created in 1931 for the Maharajah of Nawanagar

Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji, the Maharajah of Nawanagar, and the design for his Cartier diamond necklace

The 61.05 carat Tiger Eye Diamond in the Tiger Eye Turban Ornament. Cartier London, 1937. Image courtesy: Al Thani Collection

But let’s return, for a moment, to the vast expanse of Patiala. So as not to constrain the jewellers to certain precious materials as they fulfilled their royal commission, Maharaja Bhupinder Singh provided Cartier with 4,000 precious stones. The largest of these became part of the necklace, and the smallest ones were treated as payment for the work. As a result, three years later, the Maharaja received a necklace made with 2,930 diamonds weighing about 1,000 carats, including a superbly rare 234.65 yellow De Beers diamond.

The restored rendition of the Maharaja of Patiala's necklace, originally made by Cartier in 1928

The Maharajah of Patiala’s Cartier necklace featured 2,930 diamonds weighing approximately 1,000 carats, including a 234.65 carat yellow De Beers diamond

An enamel and gold hunting case pocket watch featuring a Champlevé enamel portrait of Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala, circa 1930. Image: Christie’s

Maharani Yagoda Devi and her Art Deco Patiala ruby, diamond and natural pearl necklace created by Cartier in 1931

Once the age of the Maharajas came to an end, all trace of this necklace was sadly lost until 1998, when it was found in London in an extremely damaged condition: the largest stones, including the central precious diamond, had disappeared. Of the original necklace, only five long chains of platinum, inlaid with diamonds, remained. The necklace is the most impressive jewel ever created by Cartier, so the Maison decided to restore it, replacing the lost stones with less-expensive alternatives.

The Art Deco Patiala ruby choker made by Cartier for Maharani Yagoda Devi, one of the Maharaja's wives, in 1931

Maharaja Bhupinder Singh and the Boucheron Commission

In 1928, Maharaja Bhupinder Singh knocked on the door of No. 26 Place Vendôme. Alain Boucheron recalls the visit: “The flamboyant Maharaja… He came to Boucheron in 1928, accompanied by a retinue of 40 servants in pink turbans, 20 female dancers and, most importantly, six boxes filled with 7,571 diamonds, 1,432 emeralds, sapphires, rubies and pearls of incomparable beauty.” From this wealth of minerals, Boucheron’s jewellers were requested to create a 149-piece collection. This order remains to this day the largest and most impressive ever placed on Place Vendôme. 

Unfortunately, what remains of the collection has disappeared into museums, personal collections and places unknown, but thanks to the magnificence of the order and the scrupulousness of the Boucheron archive, we have the opportunity to admire sketches and old photographs of these jewels.

In 1928, Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala requested that Boucheron make a collection of 149 jewels

The Maharaja's order remains to this day the largest and most impressive ever placed on Place Vendôme

Boucheron bib collar design for the Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala

Another of the magnificent Boucheron jewels in the collection, which have unfortunately disappeared into museums and private collections

Thankfully we have the opportunity to admire sketches and old photographs from Boucheron's archives

Cartier Jewellery for Maharani Yagoda Devi

Maharaja Bhupinder Singh repeatedly returned to Cartier after that first magnificent creation – a piece that remained his favourite. But I would like to bring your attention to an order placed in the early 1930s. This time, Cartier was given a choice of rubies, pearls and diamonds that were to be turned into a necklace for Maharani Yagoda Devi, one of the Maharaja’s wives. This necklace and everything else from that moment in history, including the power of the royal family itself, have been lost. Part of the necklace was later discovered at a European auction house in the form of a bracelet. The find turned out to be the top tier of the choker, which has now been recreated by Cartier’s craftsmen.

Carved gems, found by Jean-Jacques Cartier during his trip to India in 1911 and in the caskets of the Maharaja Bhupinder Singh, inspired Cartier's iconic Tutti Frutti jewels - a style that endures today

Hindu Tutti Frutti necklace by Cartier, commissioned in 1936 by heiress and socialite Daisy Fellowes

A modern rendition of the iconic Cartier Tutti Frutti necklace, set with a 137 carat carved antique Colombian emerald, created in 2016

The Amravati Tutti Frutti necklace, created by Cartier in 2018 as part of the Coloratura high jewellery collection

Another modern-day Tutti Frutti creation from the Résonances De Cartier high jewellery collection, set with a 59.20 carat carved Burmese sapphire that can be removed and worn as a brooch

Cartier Tutti Frutti earrings set with two removable carved sapphire beads from Burma totalling 55.17 carats

Tutti Frutti diamond and carved gem clip brooch, circa 1925, created by Henry Picq for Cartier

The creation of jewellery for Indian Maharajas had a huge influence on Cartier's designs

Jean-Jacques Cartier buying gemstones in India

Tutti Frutti bracelet watch, created by Cartier in 1929. Image: Nick Welsh, Cartier Collection

It has to be said that this collaboration, and the creation of jewellery for Indian Maharajas, enriched Cartier’s aesthetic no less than the influence of European design and techniques. Carved emeralds, sapphires and rubies, found on a trip to India in 1911 and in the caskets of Maharaja Bhupinder Singh, inspired Jacques Cartier to create a daring gemstone combination that was subsequently labelled “Tutti Frutti”. The jeweller was also surprised to find that men were no less interested in jewellery than women and had more options, something which, of course, was reflected in Cartier’s selection. Epochs and rulers change, but jewellery still says something about the former greatness of its owners and commissioners.

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