The state of Baroda, in what is now Gujarat in western India, was ruled by the Gaekwar dynasty from the eighteenth century through Indian independence. By the nineteenth century, the Gaekwar accumulated one of the most celebrated jewel collections in the world, rivalled among Indian princely states only by Hyderabad. The wealth of Baroda derived from a combination of fertile agricultural land, the cotton trade, and the shrewd stewardship of successive rulers.
The Baroda jewels became famous through a combination of their scale, the quality of the individual stones, and a series of remarkable objects that entered historical record. The Baroda pearl carpet, constructed from natural pearls arranged to form an intricate pattern, is among the most extraordinary objects ever made from gem materials. The Baroda necklaces, using diamonds and other gems from the treasury in multiple configurations, were among the most photographed jewels of the early twentieth century.
Cartier and Baroda
The relationship between the Baroda court and Cartier, in common with other major Indian princely relationships, centred on the remounting of historical stones. Gems from the Baroda treasury were brought to European workshops, Cartier among them, to be reset in new platinum or gold mountings that reflected contemporary taste. Mughal-carved stones, uncut diamonds, and polished coloured gems of Baroda provenance entered and re-entered the European market in this way over several decades.
The Gaekwar's interactions with Cartier Paris were part of a broader pattern of engagement with the Paris jewellery trade. Like Kapurthala and Patiala, Baroda's rulers visited Paris periodically and commissioned directly, maintaining relationships through both agents and personal contact.
A Dynasty Across Generations
The Baroda connection extended across several generations of the ruling family and their consorts. The women of the Baroda court, the Maharanis who wore and commissioned jewellery, are as much part of the story as the male rulers. Among the later Maharanis, Sita Devi, who married the Maharaja Pratap Singh Gaekwad in 1943, became one of the most prominent jewellery figures of the mid-twentieth century, and her association with Cartier extended into the post-independence period.
Sources
- Francesca Cartier Brickell, The Cartiers (Ballantine Books, 2019), ch. 4 (“Jacques, 1906–1919”) and ch. 7 (“Precious London: Late 1920s”)
- Wikipedia: Gaekwar and Maharani of Baroda
