Who Stole the $2.5 Billion Royal Patiala Necklace? Is the Thief Amongst Us?
Such offences are not time-barred. Punjab Government must register an FIR and hand over investigation to CBI. These are not just ornamental artefacts—they are national treasure, and national heritage.
Who Stole the Royal Patiala Necklace?
Diljit Dosanjh’s Met Gala 2025 appearance, adorned with a necklace inspired by the legendary Patiala Necklace, has reignited global fascination with one of history’s most audacious jewelry heists—a crime that remains unsolved nearly eight decades later.
By Karan Bir Singh Sidhu
Retired IAS officer of the Punjab cadre, former Special Chief Secretary, Government of Punjab— and a quintessential Patialavi who did his schooling from Yadavindra Public School, Patiala.
The Ghost of Royal Opulence: Diljit’s Homage to a Lost Treasure
Punjabi superstar Diljit Dosanjh’s Met Gala debut featured a custom necklace by Jaipur’s Golecha Jewels, a layered masterpiece of tourmalines, emeralds, and spinels designed to echo the grandeur of the original Royal Phulkian Patiala Necklace. The $2.5 billion (£21,000 crore) Cartier creation, commissioned in 1928 by Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala, once dazzled with 2,930 diamonds, including the 234-carat De Beers yellow diamond—a gem alone worth $30 million today. Dosanjh’s tribute, however, underscores a painful truth: the original necklace without a trace after India’s Independence, leaving behind a trail of intrigue, black-market whispers, and unanswered questions about institutional apathy and the possible complicity of some unscrupulous members of the erstwhile royal family
The Disappearance: A Post-Independence Enigma
In 1948, shortly after the Princely State of Patiala signed an instrument of accession and merged with independent Union of India India, the necklace disappeared from the royal treasury. The last confirmed sighting was in April 1948, when Maharaja Yadavindra Singh—Maharaja Bhupinder Singh’s son—wore it during a Baisakhi ceremony at Moti Bagh Palace. By then, the necklace had become government property under the integration of princely states, yet no formal investigation was launched into its disappearance. Former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, Yadavindra Singh’s son, claims the necklace was “never stolen” but likely dismantled and distributed among the Maharaja’s 54 children. His brother Malwinder Singh, however, insists it simply “vanished,” with even their mother unaware of its fate.
The lack of urgency from Indian authorities remains baffling. Historians note that the necklace’s loss coincided with the turbulent dissolution of royal estates, where assets worth billions were liquidated, stolen, or mismanaged. Yet unlike the British Crown Jewels or Russia’s Amber Room, India’s most iconic heirloom slipped into obscurity—until fragments began resurfacing overseas, decades later.
The Global Odyssey of a Dismembered Masterpiece
1982: The De Beers diamond, the necklace’s centerpiece, appeared at a Sotheby’s Geneva auction. Bidding stalled at $3.16 million, failing to meet its reserve price. The diamond vanished again, with rumors suggesting Middle Eastern collectors or European oligarchs acquired it.
1998: Eric Nussbaum, a Cartier associate, stumbled upon the necklace’s skeletal remains—five platinum chains stripped of gems—in a London antique shop. Cartier purchased the remnants and spent four years restoring it with cubic zirconia and synthetic rubies, creating a $30 million replica now displayed in museums.
2022: At the Met Gala, YouTuber Emma Chamberlain wore a diamond choker loaned by Cartier, allegedly part of the original necklace. The backlash was immediate: critics accused Cartier of profiting from India’s looted heritage, while historians questioned how the choker left the country.
Institutional Failure or Inside Job?
The necklace’s fate exposes glaring gaps in India’s cultural stewardship. After 1947, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) had no mandate to catalog royal jewels, allowing priceless artifacts to scatter globally. Former ASI director Dr. K.K. Muhammed notes, “We prioritized temples and monuments, not movable treasures. The Patiala Necklace fell through the cracks of bureaucracy and neglect.”
Yet evidence suggests insider involvement. The necklace’s intricate platinum framework—requiring specialized tools to dismantle—indicates thieves familiar with its structure. Maharaja Bhupinder Singh’s vast progeny, many facing financial strain post-independence, remain prime suspects. One descendant, speaking anonymously, admitted, “Some relatives sold heirlooms to Swiss dealers in the 1950s. The necklace? Maybe it was collateral for debts.”
The Unanswered Question: Where Are the Thieves Now?
Today, the restored necklace tours museums as a cautionary tale, while the original gems—valued at over $2 billion—remain missing. Interpol lists the De Beers diamond as “cultural patrimony,” yet no arrests or recoveries have occurred.
Diljit Dosanjh’s homage has inadvertently reframed the conversation. The debate isn’t whether his necklace rivals the original’s splendour—it doesn’t—but why India’s greatest jewelry heist remains cold. As Punjabi historian Amar Singh Panesar asks, “Is the thief dead? Or sipping champagne in Monaco, watching their loot sparkle on red carpets?”
The Patiala Necklace’s saga is more than a mystery—it’s a mirror to post-colonial apathy. Until India demands accountability for its stolen heritage, the ghosts of royal opulence will keep haunting Met Galas, auction houses, and the shadows of history.
A Crime That Still Demands Justice
Such heinous crimes and offences are not time-barred. The Punjab Government must register an FIR immediately and hand over the investigation to the CBI. Even if the culprits can no longer be held to account or convicted, we as a sovereign republic have a duty to initiate legal proceedings. Letters rogatory should be issued to seek the repatriation of missing fragments from overseas museums, auction houses, and private collectors. These are not just ornamental artefacts—they are national treasure, and more importantly, national heritage.
A Nation’s Indifference
This is not just the story of a necklace. It is the story of a nation’s indifference to its own legacy. Until we confront this silence, the Patiala Necklace will remain not only a mystery—but a metaphor for lost pride, royal recklessness, and post-colonial amnesia.
The $2.5 billion question: Is the thief among us?