The Nizam of Hyderabad Cartier Necklace

In celebration of the platinum jubilee, here’s the story behind this necklace that the 25-year- #QueenElizabethII wore 70 years ago in her first official portraits as the new Queen (image credit @royalcollectiontrust )

In the mid-1930s, when the youngest brother of #TheCartiers, Jacques Cartier was running the London branch, business was good. The large #EnglishArtWorks workshop was full of talented craftsmen creating significant pieces both for individual commissions and as stock for the elegant #175NewBondSt showroom below. After all, it was a decade not short of opportunities to wear high jewellery: from presentations at court, to jubilee celebrations (George V in 1935) to coronation festivities (George VI in 1937). And big necklaces particularly were very on trend.

This one – in diamond and platinum - was made in 1935 and appeared in Harpers Bazaar that year, moidelled by the stylish Countess of Warwick (2nd image). It must have been good advertising because by the following year Cartier had sold it…but not for long. They reacquired it in 1937.

Fast forward 10 years – incl. a world war and the death of Jacques Cartier – and the necklace, still in Cartier London (now under the leadership of Jean-Jacques Cartier) - was about to attract some interest..

In 1947, the Nizam of Hyderabad, one of the richest men in the world (see 3rd image on front cover of Time Magazine) offered the then Princess Elizabeth a wedding gift from Cartier London: her choice of two items. The Princess chose this #diamondnecklace and a floral #diamondtiara with removable diamond brooches (4th image for it being worn as a tiara and a brooch; 5th image these wedding gifts in the press).

Since then, this necklace has been worn many times – incl for the Queen’s first official portraits by Dorothy Wilding in 1952 (and on bank notes - 7th image), but more recently it has been given a new lease of life and lent to younger members of the royal family (6th image on the Duchess of Cambridge).

Love that something with so much history is still going strong, and think it looks as good in the 2020s as it did in the 1930s - but would love to hear your view - has it dated? Or still stylish?