Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala owned one of the most expensive necklaces ever made, he had Rolls Royce cars, and became the first Indian to purchase a private aircraft.

Patiala Necklace

In 1928, Maharaja Bhupinder Singh arrived in Paris with 40 attendants and trunks full of rubies, emeralds, pearls, and diamonds. While his initial stop was Boucheron Maison, in collaboration with Cartier he owned the Patiala Necklace.

It was crafted using the Maharaja’s royal jewels, and the necklace incorporated the De Beers yellow diamond, the seventh-largest polished diamond in the world with weight of 234 carats. The piece featured 2,900 diamonds set in five rows of platinum chains, with a total weight of 962.25 carats. The necklace took three years to complete and remains one of the most famous creations by Cartier.

Where Is Necklace Now?

However, after being last worn in 1948 by Bhupinder Singh’s son, Yadavindra Singh, the necklace disappeared from the royal treasury. Decades later, it was founded but with many of its original stones, and yellow diamond were missing. Cartier eventually recovered and restored it, replacing the lost gems with other substitutes. If recreated today, the Patiala Necklace is estimated to be worth around $30 million (approximately Rs 248 crore), according to media reports.

Rolls Royce Cars

The Maharaja also had a collection of automobiles that was equally impressive, of around 27 and 44 Rolls Royce cars.

India’s First Private Aircraft Owner

Inspired by French aviation pioneer Louis Bl riot’s historic 1909 English Channel flight, the Maharaja dispatched his chief engineer to Europe to acquire aircraft. He purchased three planes from the United Kingdom, two Henry Farman biplanes and a Bl riot XI monoplane.

He was a professional cricketer and led the Indian cricket team on its tour of England in 1911.

source :india.com