Exceptional natural pearl and diamond necklace, circa 1920

By repute formerly in the Collection of Maharani Gayatri Devi, Rajamata of Jaipur (1919-2009)

Formerly in the Al Thani Collection

Lot 68, Maharajas and Mughal Magnificence, New York 19 June 2019.

From the Great Mughals to the Maharajas: Jewels from The Al Thani Collection, Grand Palais, Paris, 2017, item 246, pg. 331 in the catalogue.

Treasures of the Mughals and the Maharajas: The Al Thani Collection, The Doge's Palace, Venice, 2017-2018, item 239, pg. 343 in the catalogue.

Treasures from The Al Thani Collection: Gems and Jewels of India and Masterpieces from a Royal Collection, The Palace Museum, Beijing, 2018, item 243, pg. 352 in the catalogue.

East Meets West: Jewels of the Maharajas from The Al Thani Collection, de Young Legion of Honor, San Francisco, 2018-2019, item 148, pg. 184 in the catalogue.

'The pearls have been carefully selected for this necklace and exhibit a beautifully matching shape and quality.'

Excerpt from the SSEF appendix letter

Gayatri Devi (1919-2009) 

Gayatri Devi was the Maharani of Jaipur as the third wife of Man Singh II (1912-1970). Following the end of the British Imperial rule and the abolition of the Indian Princely States, she went on to be elected as a member of parliament continuing to serve the people over whom she once ruled.

Gayatri Devi was born a Princess of Cooch Behar to Prince Jitendra Narayan (1886-1922) and Indira Devi (1892-1968), daughter of the Maharajah of Baroda. Her mother was a highly cultivated woman renowned for her elegant dress sense and patronage of the best London and Parisian jewellers. Furthermore, Indira Devi acted as regent of Cooch Behar, undoubtedly setting an example for her daughter who inherited her style and intelligence.

Gayatri Devi married Man Singh II of Jaipur in 1940 much to the dismay of her mother as the Jaipur court, which adhered strictly to the rules of purdah, was very restrictive to women. However, Gayatri and her husband were both very interested in modernising Jaipur.

The independence of India in 1947 brought about the abolition of the Princely States. Gayatri Devi felt compelled to continue serving the interests of her former subjects by entering politics. In 1962, she was elected to parliament in what was at the time the world’s largest landslide electoral victory. That same year, she received Jacqueline Kennedy on her goodwill tour of India and Pakistan. Gayatri Devi’s political career was marked by a rivalry between herself and Indira Gandhi, India’s first and only female prime minister to date.