Why Diljit couldn't wear the Maharaja's Rs 21 crore necklace

Diljit Dosanjh made sure the world knew he was making his Met Gala debut. The Punjabi singer’s outfit, inspired by Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala, stole the show, and his cultural representation was widely lauded by viewers around the world. The outfit featured intricate details  from Gurmukhi alphabets stitched on the back to stunning jewellery and more. However, did you know that Diljit actually wanted to wear the Maharaja of Patiala's $2.5 billion necklace but didn’t get the chance? Yes, it's true. Let’s look at the reason why.

diljit knows he served with this look, regal elegance at its finest #DiljitDosanjh #MetGala2025 pic.twitter.com/n9NNlJGkxs

— 𝒘. 🤍 (@omgwashhh) May 6, 2025

Why Diljit Dosanjh couldn't wear the Maharaja of Patiala’s Rs 21 crore necklace

Diljit's crew disclosed that they were turned down when they asked to wear the Maharaja's personal jewelry in order to make the homage more poignant. The heaviest necklace the French jeweler has ever created, weighing 1,000 carats of diamonds, was commissioned by the Maharaja of Patiala in 1928, according to HT. At the time, the Patiala necklace, which had an incredible 2900 diamonds, cost Rs 10 crore ($2.5 billion or ₹21000 crore today).

Abhilasha Devnani, Diljit's stylist, "tried to borrow that iconic Cartier necklace for the night," but was informed that "it sits sealed in a museum," according to the New York Times. In the end, she contacted Indian jeweler Golecha to design jewelry, such as a turban brooch, that was influenced by the prince's collection.

diljit really said lemme show y’all how it’s done, patiala royalty. pic.twitter.com/PQx86TSuWE

— ਮਨਵਿੰਦਰ (@LeJattJames) May 5, 2025

When Emma Chamberlain wore Maharaja’s choker

YouTuber Emma Chamberlain wore a diamond choker from the Maharaja of Patiala back in 2022. The piece she wore was formerly a component of the famous Patiala Necklace, a gem that mysteriously disappeared decades ago.

For those who don't know, Diljit wore a regal outfit by Prabal Gurung at the Met Gala 2025. Shah Rukh Khan, Kiara Advani and others were also seen attending the event and walking the carpet. 

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