Diljit Dosanjh wanted to wear world’s most expensive necklace to Met Gala but Cartier said ‘No’

Diljit Dosanjh’s Met Gala 2025 look, styled by Prabal Gurung, celebrated his Punjabi heritage with a customized ivory ensemble. He aimed to borrow the legendary Patiala Necklace, but Cartier declined due to its fragility. Instead, he wore bespoke jewelry, making a cultural assertion and a memorable affect with out the historic piece.

Diljit Dosanjh made an impressive splash on the Met Gala 2025 – and no, we’re not being dramatic. The Punjabi famous person turned up in full regal glory, effortlessly mixing his cultural roots with the night’s “Black Dandyism” theme.Dressed by Prabal Gurung, Diljit delivered a glance that was each private and political, steeped in heritage whereas nodding to up to date vogue beliefs. But if issues had gone precisely to plan, his Met Gala second would have included one very well-known (and really expensive) piece of jewelry: the legendary Patiala Necklace.
Yes, that necklace.
Before we dive into the bling saga, let’s speak concerning the match. Diljit confirmed up in a customized ivory ensemble impressed by royal Sikh apparel – a protracted kurta and draped tehmat, paired with a richly embroidered cape inscribed with Gurmukhi script. His signature turban and a standard sword accomplished the look, cementing his standing as each a cultural ambassador and a vogue risk-taker. It was daring, unapologetically desi, and deeply significant.

Diljit Dosanjh at Met Gala 2025

“It’s what I’ve been doing all this time,” he advised The New York Times. “It’s about carrying your identity with pride, right?”
Now again to the necklace.
Diljit’s crew had their hearts set on borrowing one of many most iconic items of jewelry in Indian and world historical past: the Patiala Necklace. Commissioned by Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala in 1928 and crafted by Cartier, the unique necklace was nothing wanting jaw-dropping. At its centre was an enormous 234-carat De Beers yellow diamond, surrounded by practically 3,000 different diamonds. At the time, it value round ₹10 crore, but at present its estimated price soars to $2.5 billion (₹21,000+ crore).

Naturally, stylist Abhilasha Devnani reached out to Cartier to see if the model would lend the historic necklace for the massive evening. The request was declined. The necklace or what stays of it, is now sealed away in a museum, too fragile and worthwhile to be lent out, even for the Met Gala.

Channelling his cultural roots by fashion and breaking Western vogue stereotypes, Diljit’s couture screamed of dramatic silhouette, wealthy color, and iconic detailing. In true showman fashion, the singer-actor stepped out of New York’s Carlyle Hotel in an impeccably tailor-made white sherwani swimsuit with a structured mid-slit and layered it with a standard Indian cape, exuding royal finesse.(Image Credits: Instagram)

Here’s the twist, although: Cartier has beforehand lent out items of this very necklace. In 2022, influencer Emma Chamberlain wore a choker crafted from a phase of the Patiala Necklace to the Met Gala. Though not the whole unique piece, the choker was a part of the bigger necklace that Bhupinder Singh had commissioned. This induced fairly a stir on the time, particularly since Chamberlain’s necklace was initially (and incorrectly) linked by some to Maharaja Ranjit Singh, inflicting controversy on-line.
The Patiala Necklace itself has a quite cinematic backstory. After India’s independence, the necklace mysteriously disappeared from the royal treasury. Decades later, fragments of it – minus most of the unique stones, resurfaced at a Sotheby’s public sale in 1982. Cartier acquired and partially restored what it might, but the unique grandeur has by no means been totally recovered. Hence the nickname: “The Lost Diamond.”
So whereas Emma Chamberlain obtained to wear a slice of historical past in 2022, Diljit had to discover one other means to pay tribute. Not one to be defeated, his crew commissioned Indian jewellers Golecha to craft bespoke jewelry impressed by the Maharaja’s assortment, together with a standout turban brooch. The outcome? A glance that also turned heads and sparked dialog, with out counting on museum items.

Diljit Dosanjh, left, and Prabal Gurung attend The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute profit gala celebrating the opening of the “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” exhibition on Monday, May 5, 2025, in New York.AP/PTI

In a 12 months the place Indian illustration was stronger than ever on the Met Gala with Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Kiara Advani, and designers like Sabyasachi and Manish Malhotra all in attendance Diljit carved out his personal second. His outfit was greater than vogue; it was a press release of cultural continuity and pleasure.
And actually? He didn’t want the $2.5 billion necklace to make it unforgettable. He was the second.