Read more at : http://www.royal-magazin.de/india/baroda-star-south-necklace.htm

Thanks to Nicholas Mathew for contributing this link.

a great collection .thanx for sharing

Indeed this is that fabled neclace whose diamonds once belonged to Napolean Bonaparte. Just notice the use of Gota border on the sari as the fall was yet to be invented and was almost two decades away !

This is a photograph of the second Maharani of Baroda taken in 1948 by Henri Cartier-Bresson. The photo caption, however, doesn't say anything about the necklace--simply "wearing a gold emboidered sari in honour of her husband."

The necklace was taken by Sitadevi to Paris. It was broken up but Indian govt forced the Maharaja to bring three diamonds back

this is royality, very nice pic

The Baroda Museum at the palace has some fine examples of textiles/saris specially woven for the royal wearer.

A small city state and its rulers of a impoverished farming community; it amazes me to see the wealth these rulers amassed....

@ Arvind:Baroda was not really a city state.It was blessed with very good arable land .As for the personal fortunes that they amassed is hardly surprising because they never really had any significant nobility to share their spoils with. Same applies to the Sikh kingdoms as well.This was unlike the northern Rajput kingdoms where sometimes their nobility was even older than the kingdoms themselves and the new rulers were forced to recognize them.This allowed Maratha and Sikh kingdoms which were of relatively recent origin to amass huge fortunes in such a short time.Gwalior however was an exception as the greatest war spoils of the Maratha wars went to them.Their nobility was also really very wealthy indeed.

Digvijay, Good points, Now the politicians in India are the new rulers and so also a few filthy rich who have stashed away their millions in Swiss banks. It is the poor hardworking tax paying slob who is squeezed everyday!

Oh and trade, Gujarat has always been very rich due to it being a trade hub throughout history, from Lolthal to how knows how far back into history.

Indeed Satyakam it is said that the cloth of Gujarat used to grace the court of King Solomon !

textiles from Gujarat have always been a popular trading commodity around the world !! if you can, do visit Patan to see the Patola saree being woven by the National award winning craftsmen there.