The then Princess Elizabeth received the Nizam of Hyderabad necklace as a wedding present by the Nizam of Hyderabad, together with a tiara.
The Nizam, who did not come over for the wedding itself, gave instructions to Cartier that Princess Elizabeth could choose whatever she wanted. The necklace she picked originally came into Cartier’s stock in 1935 with a central pendant of three drops flanked on each side by two pendants of two drops. Nine of these drops were eventually removed and sold separately, The necklace was sold in 1936 before being repurchased by Cartier in 1937. It remained with them until the Nizam purchased it for Princess Elizabeth.
At some point, several collets were removed.
It was described as having a “pave-set centre with a detachable double-drop pendant incorporating 13 emerald-cut diamonds and a pear-shaped drop; the chain of 38 brilliant-cut open-back collets with an elongated oval brilliant-set snap.”1
Queen Elizabeth II wore it frequently in the early years of her reign. In 2014, it was worn by the then Duchess of Cambridge – now the Princess of Wales. She wore it again in 2019 for the Diplomatic Corps Reception.
Be the first to comment