The Queen received £66m necklace as wedding gift – ‘Extraordinary statement piece’
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The Nizam of Hyderabad necklace has been worn by the Queen throughout her long reign, but it entered her possession while she was still known as Princess Elizabeth. The future Queen received the stunning diamond-bedecked necklace as a wedding gift upon her marriage to the Duke of Edinburgh in 1947. The generous donor was the Nizam of Hyderabad, who was then thought to be one of the wealthiest people in the world.
Jewellery experts have estimated the Queen’s Nizam of Hyderabad Necklace is worth a staggering seven-figure sum, and it could be one of the most expensive pieces in the royal collection.
Daena Borrowman, Marketing Manager at jewellerybox, told Express.co.uk: “The magnificent Nizam of Hyderabad Necklace, considered to be the most expensive piece of royal jewellery in the world, is worth over £66million
“It was a wedding gift to Princess Elizabeth from the Nizam of Hyderabad, one of the richest people in the world.
“The Nizam is said to have generously instructed Cartier to let the bride-to-be pick anything she wished from their collections, to which the young Princess chose a tiara with three detachable flower brooches and what we now know as the Nizam of Hyderabad Necklace.
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“Featuring over 50 diamonds set in platinum, the Queen has worn this extravagant necklace in numerous portraits before her coronation and has even lent it to the Duchess of Cambridge on numerous occasions in recent times.”
The Nizam of Hyderabad necklace is an “extraordinary statement piece”, so it is usually only worn for important occasions rather than daily wear.
And Kate wore it to a National Portrait Gallery event in 2014, of which she is the royal patron.
Rob Ogden, co-founder of Ogden of Harrogate, told Express.co.uk: “The version of the Nizam of Hyderabad Necklace that is now worn is more a drop pendant than the 1935 original, which had five pendants attached to the diamond row.
Philip also had two poignant jewellery items created for his bride-to-be.
He dismantled the gems from a tiara that belonged to his mother, Princess Andrew of Greece and Denmark, formerly Princess Alice of Battenberg.
Jewellery firm Philip Antrobus then created a stunning diamond engagement ring that the Queen still wears today, which features a large central diamond flanked by pave diamonds on either side.
The surplus diamonds from the tiara were used to make the Edinburgh Wedding Bracelet, a beautiful diamond and platinum piece that Kate, Duchess of Cambridge has worn in recent years.
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