Maharaja seeks the jewel in the crown of a fading Indian fiefdom 21 Jan 2006 It was one of the prize jewels of the royal family of the Indian state of Jamnagar - a pendant necklace strung with two massive, carved emeralds that befitted the opulent tastes of one of India's most fêted maharajas. For 40 years, its whereabouts remained unknown to Jamnagar's ruler - or Jamsaheb, as he is known - one of the many items that gradually disappeared from the family coffers after Indian Independence in 1947. However, late last year, "Ranjitsinhji's Necklace" resurfaced without warning as the headline lot in a sale of Indian antiques by Christie's, which described it as an "exceedingly rare" item with an estimated value of £1.6 million. "The last time I saw it was in 1966," the reclusive Jamsaheb told The Daily Telegraph this week. [snip] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/1508430/Maharaja-seeks-the-jewel-in-the-crown-of-a-fading-Indian-fiefdom.html --- Harshawardhan_Bosham Nimkhedkar