Vogue India July 2016

100 VOGUE INDIA JULY 2016 http://www.vogue.in

COURTESY TASVEER; GETTY IMAGES; SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

India was the land of milk and honey, but it was also a

place where legendary royal treasuries held stories as

glittering and colourful as the gems they contained.

SHILPA VIJAYAKRISHNAN, research associate at

Tasveer, digs through the archives

SET IN STONE

The royal treasuries of India have always been

brimming over with precious stones. Diamonds

were found within the subcontinent, most

famously in the southern region of Golconda;

and the best rubies came from Burma. Sri Lan-

ka supplied sapphires to the world, and emer-

alds travelled here from South America since

the 16th century—particularly Colombian

emeralds of rare clarity, size and colour.

Aside from being markers of wealth and sta-

tus, gems in several traditions in South and

South East Asia held spiritual, religious and

astrological value. Many were credited with

healing properties as well. In India, precedence

was always given to the navratna or nine gems:

diamonds, pearls, rubies, sapphires (yellow and

blue), emeralds, coral, hessonite and cat’s eye—

found in a dazzling range of sizes and cuts. In

as much as these were striking gems and bold

and intricate pieces of jewellery, several of them

gained notoriety through their association with

particular royals.

OF TURBANS, DANCING GIRLS

AND BOUCHERON’S LARGEST

COMMISSION

A ODUJHUWKDQOLIH ÀJXUH FHQWUDO WR QDUUDWLYHV

on jewellery fashioned for Indian royals, and

particularly in relation to the cultural exchange

between the East and West, was Maharajah

Bhupinder Singh. Alain Boucheron writes of

his visit in The Master Jewelers (Thames &

Hudson) ́7KHÁDPER\DQW0DKDUDMDKRI3DWLD

ODWKHQUXOHURIWKH3XQMDEDUULYHGDW%RXFKHU

on’s in 1927 accompanied by a retinue of 40

servants all wearing pink turbans, his 20 fa-

vourite dancing girls and, most important of

DOOVL[FDVNHWVÀOOHGZLWKGLDPRQGVSHDUOVHP

______________________

RANI YASHODA DEVI

OF PATIALA | VANDYK

STUDIO, C 1930

Maharajah of Patiala Bhupinder

Singh’s dazzling collection included

two of the most expensive

commissions received by the

House of Cartier—the famous

Patiala necklace composed of

2,930 diamonds, which included

the world’s seventh largest De

Beers diamond as its centrepiece;

and the lesser known but equally

striking Art Deco ruby and pearl

necklace worn by his third wife,

Rani Yashoda Devi (below).

Maharaja Bhupinder

Singh of Patiala

The ‘Patiala’

necklace

WorldMags.net