In 1911, George V and Queen Mary traveled to India for the Delhi Durbar, a ceremony marking their proclamation as Emperor and Empress of India.To commemorate this event, a necklace was crafted by Garrard & Co, incorporating nine emeralds originally owned by Queen Mary’s grandmother, the Duchess of Cambridge.
This necklace was part of a parure, which also included a stomacher, earrings, and a tiara, collectively known as the Delhi Durbar suite.
Queen Mary wearing the necklace in an official portrait. (Wikimedia Commons)
The necklace features a symmetrical arrangement of diamonds and emeralds in an alternating pattern. There are nine cabochon-cut emeralds, formerly part of the Duchess of Cambridge’s collection.
In addition to a pendant emerald, an 8.8-carat marquise-cut diamond, known as Cullinan VII, serves as another pendant. This diamond was cut from the renowned Cullinan Diamond, the largest gem-quality rough diamond ever discovered. The necklace can be worn with or without the two pendants, which can also be swapped for other stones.
A close up of the Delhi Durbar necklace. (Royal Collection Trust)
Hugh Roberts has noted that Queen Mary had worn the necklace with the Cullinan III on the longer chain, with the emerald pendant on the shorter one.
Additionally, the necklace is set in platinum and gold, featuring six large diamonds, each estimated to be upwards of 10 carats.
The Delhi Durbar necklace on display in 2022 at Buckingham Palace. (Royal Collection Trust)
Following Queen Mary’s death in 1953, the necklace along with other items of jewellery were left to her granddaughter, Elizabeth II. The necklace was seen on a range of occasions throughout her 70-year reign.
One of the earliest appearances of the Delhi Durbar necklace on Elizabeth II was in 1963 during a state visit to Australia, where it was paired with the Delhi Durbar tiara. The Queen frequently wore the necklace for state banquets, diplomatic receptions, and official portraits.
The last known appearance of the necklace was in 2015 at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Malta, where Elizabeth II wore it with the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara.
