Diljit Dosanjh wanted to wear Maharaj of Patiala's $2.5 billion necklace for Met Gala debut, but was denied; here's why
Diljit Dosanjh walked the Met Gala blue carpet in a Prabal Gurung ensemble that paid tribute to his Punjabi heritage and was inspired by the Maharaja of Patiala
Diljit Dosanjh served and how at his Met Gala debut on Monday. The Punjabi hitmaker walked the blue carpet at the prestigious fashion event in New York, representing his culture and roots in a Prabal Gurung ensemble. The singer has received praise for merging his Punjabi heritage with the Black Dandyism theme of the gala, and many noted his look paid homage to the Maharaja of Patiala. Diljit's team revealed that they wanted the homage to hit closer by actually wearing the Maharaja's personal jewellery, but were denied. (Also read: Diljit Dosanjh serves Punjabi royalty at Met Gala 2025, makes head turn in Maharaja look. See pics)
Diljit Dosanjh at the 2025 Met Gala
Dressed like a Maharaja, Diljit made heads turn in a custom Prabal Gurung outfit. He wore traditional attire -- a turban (a symbol of Sikh identity) and a kurta and tehmat (a long tunic and draped bottoms). His cape also had Gurumukhi script, and the singer completed his outfit with a sword. In an interview with the New York Times, Diljit opened up on his ensemble and how it fit the theme. “It’s what I’ve been doing all this time. It’s about carrying your identity with pride, right?” he said.
Diljit's team wanted the Patiala Necklace
But the singer's team revealed that they tried to get a special piece of jewellery to make the look stand out even more. In 1928, the Maharaja of Patiala commissioned Cartier to make him a diamond necklace that weighed 1,000 carats — the largest necklace the French jeweler has ever made. The Patiala necklace, containing a staggering 2900 diamonds, was priced at ₹10 crore at the time ($2.5 billion or ₹21000 crore today).
New York Times noted that Diljit's stylist, Abhilasha Devnani, 'tried to borrow that iconic Cartier necklace for the night' but was told that 'it sits sealed in a museum'. Eventually, she commissioned the Indian jeweller Golecha to create jewellery inspired by the prince’s collection, including a turban brooch.
About the Met Gala
The Met Gala, formally called the Costume Institute Benefit, is the annual haute couture fundraising festival held for the benefit of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute in Manhattan. Apart from Diljit, the 2025 Met Gala saw Indian representation from Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Kiara Advani, and designers Sabyasachi, Manish Malhotra, and Prabal Gurung. Socialites Natasha Poonawala and Isha Ambani were also present.
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