A magnificent ruby and diamond necklace, c. 1937
Stunning Art Deco Cartier necklace commissioned by Maharaja Digvijaysinhji
of Nawanagar in 1937 and considered one of the most important ruby
and diamond necklaces
Estimate:
SFr1,800,000-2,200,000 (US$1,400,000-1,700,000)
The Jam Saheb himself
loved jewellery, and would fondle precious stones with the touch of
an artist.
He began to pit his knowledge against the opinions of the experts.
He envisaged the possession by the State of the finest collection
in India. It took twenty-three years to fulfil that ambition.
Ranjitsinhji of Nawanagar, the peerless Ranji of the cricketing world,
was the most loved of the princes, quite unlike Jagatjit Singh of
Kapurthala. The latter, an ardent Francophile, built himself a pretentious
Versailles-like palace where the long-suffering servants were ordered
about in French and wore perukes to wait on his guests. The interiors
featured pink, buxom females without even a fig-leaf on, cavorting
all over the ceilings, walls and panels to the amusement of foreign
visitors.
Large
picture - Grosses Foto des Rubin-Colliers
The other jewels
of Nawanagar - weiterer Schmuck des Maharadschas:
Source / picture:christies;V&A London
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