Maharaja Bride

In their rich extravagance. One of the Indian Maharaj made the necklace, which, even with artificial stones is delight and surprise.

The most expensive window
Despite the fact that many well-known companies no longer need to be advertising or promoting their own name, design showcases - it is a matter of prestige, the so-called «noble oblige». And to attract the attention of a different kind of spoiled the wonders of New Yorkers, especially on the eve of Christmas and New Year decorations are to be truly out of. Permalink gaper crowd at the legendary intersection of Fifth Avenue and 52 th streets in frosty Christmas day 2002, was another proof that the legend sometimes bylyu and wonders - never ends.

In fact, the window of the house of Cartier has been exhibited only one thing. This remarkable piece of jewelry has never sold. Moreover, he never intended to decorate women. This is a necklace, created to decorate the men - the famous necklace Patyaly (Patiala), or the ceremonial necklace of Maharaja Singh Bhupindara with giant gem and five rows of platinum chains, inlaid with diamonds. It was made the Paris house of Cartier for Maharaja Patyaly in 1928 made a huge bib, originally numbered 2930 diamond necklace and weighed about a thousand carats (about 200 g). This is the most outstanding and most famous necklace ever made by the house of Cartier.

Bhupindar Magnificent
Patyala - the most important Sikh state in India. His territory - 5932 square miles. Englishmen like this or not, but because of the large number of Sikhs in the colonial troops were forced to reckon with the rulers of the semi-state.

Family Bhupindara Maharaja Singh (1891-1938) rules Patyaloy to 1764, he came to the throne, being 9 years old. As the present lord of the east it has become a truly legendary personality. Maharaja was incontinently in everything - food, women, travel, sports, politics, and most of all - in the decorations. He ordered his guns at Uestli Richards in Birmingham, Dupont from Paris are available for a unique lighter, while Rolls-Royce cars produced to order. Maharaja was fantastically rich. For example, he inherited a diamond «De Beers» - pale yellow diamond weighing 234.69 carats, which is considered the seventh largest cut diamond in the world. He is like a big ball for the game of golf. Found in 1888 in a mine «De Beers» in South Africa, this diamond has always been considered exceptional. As presented at the World Exhibition in Paris in 1889, it produced a real sensation. Stone bought the then Maharaja Rajendra Singh (Rajendra Singh), and he never inserted into the frame. Maybe it wore turbans on.

Three of walking in Paris
«Magnificent Maharaja Patyaly, then governor of Punjab, has in store Boucheron in 1927, accompanied by a retinue of 40 servants, each of whom wore a pink turban, with 20 of your favorite dancers and six large boxes, filled diamonds, pearls, emeralds, sapphires and rubies unparalleled beauty », - so says Alain Boucheron (Alain Boucheron), talking about family business in the book« Masters jewelry ». Boucheron instructed to process and transform all this mass of precious stones, valued at about 1800 million francs, the diadems, belts, head-hoops and necklaces in the form of cascades, and decorations that can be worn under the sari.

When in 1925 the Maharaja Bhupindar Singh arrived in Paris, he brought with him a famous diamond, «De Beers» and about the same size of the tobacco-colored diamond and two huge Burmese ruby. «He came to Paris with suitcases of precious stones, for a special necklace - said Eric Nussbaum (Eric Nussbaum), curator, art collections of Cartier. - Some of the stones sold to Maharaja, while money orders rassverlit remaining diamonds and a whole bunch of pearls, which already has cost about the same as the original Rembrandt ».



New Times
Three-year master Cartier worked on this necklace, which is at the heart of glittering diamond «De Beers». Necklace made in the style of Art Deco. When in 1928 it was finished, Cartier so proud of his work, which asked permission to put the necklace before it sent to India. Maharaja agreed. Later, he is often photographed with the necklace. The last intact necklace seen in his son, Maharaja Yadavindra Singh in 1941.

In the late 40's - early 50-ies. crowned rulers of India to come hard times. In 1951, Britain refused to tax immunity of the Crown Prince, and many families had to leave part of their jewelry. During the forties and fifties most of the large stones necklaces including diamond «De Beers» and rubies, were removed and sold. Recent sold platinum chain. They have appeared in London in 1998. «I stumbled upon the necklace accidentally, - said Mr. Nussbaum. - Although the circuit was divided, and stones at them was not, but I just knew it. I told Cartier that want to buy them and restore the necklace, even if we have to replace the gems ».

Chains for Cartier
Cartier bought the chain, although it believed that to find a decent replacement diamond «De Beers» and rubies would be almost impossible. First they tried to replace the natural precious stones - white and yellow sapphires, white topaz and grenades. «Unfortunately, their cleanliness and the brightness does not go into any comparison with natural diamond», - said Nussbaum.

Therefore, he proposed temporarily using synthetic stones: cubic zirconium instead of diamonds and synthetic rubies - instead of Burmese prototypes. His advice was completed, but still took almost two years to re necklace.

New necklace looks exactly like the original, at least to the inexperienced eye. According to experts, if the necklace was able to recover fully, the cost to date would be from $ 20 to $ 30 million.

Once the necklace was restored, Nussbaum visited India and the current Maharaja Patyaly, Amarindera Singh. «He told me that 300 years ago, the founder of the family Patyaly handed over a small flame," - says Nussbaum. - Until this fire is not quenched, the family will continue to exist. By the way, the family is thriving so far ».

By Tatiana Derry