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At the world premiere of Wuthering Heights, all eyes were on lead actress Margot Robbie as she strutted down the red carpet in a custom Schiaparelli gown, a huge diamond necklace adorning her neck. The necklace, which Robbie proudly referred to as “Elizabeth Taylor’s necklace,” originally belonged to Mughal Empress Nur Jahan, who was gifted it by her husband, Emperor Jahangir. But the history of the necklace and its shady acquisition by European institutions like luxury house Cartier has ultimately been whitewashed through disgraceful press coverage of the premiere. South Asians across the world are rightfully criticizing Robbie’s choice to wear an Indian heritage pendant with immense cultural significance and a violent history of colonial pillaging. The premiere has become an unsavory reminder of the accessibility of colonial artifacts to white celebrities and institutions.
Much of the necklace’s history remains undocumented, which reflects the violence of colonial plunder and British rule in India. It comes from the Mughal empire, an Islamic empire that ruled most of the Indian subcontinent from 1526 to 1857, when the British East India Company deposed the last Mughal ruler, killing most of his sons to ensure the empire wouldn’t return. According to many historians, the necklace was passed down to Mughal Emperor Jahangir’s son, Shah Jahan, who gifted it to his wife, Mumtaz Mahal (for whom the Taj Mahal was also built, thus earning the necklace the name “Taj Mahal necklace.” In 1971, the necklace was suspiciously acquired by the luxury brand Cartier during a visit to India. What is clear is that “Western jewelry houses like Cartier acquired these pieces during periods of desperate economic situations,” said Ashok Som, a professor at ESSEC Business School, to The Juggernaut. According to the Elizabeth Taylor estate, the necklace “found its way” to Richard Burton, who gifted it to Taylor, his wife; the estate later loaned the necklace to Robbie for the Wuthering Heights premiere.
Despite the fact that historians remain uncertain about Cartier’s acquisition of the Taj Mahal necklace, and despite its subsequent exoticization by Burton and Taylor (there are pictures of Burton jokingly wearing the necklace around his forehead), Robbie and her team insisted on attributing the necklace to Taylor rather than situate it in its rightful historical context as a Mughal artifact. Additionally, the inscription on the necklace has been wrongly translated as “love is everlasting” on the Elizabeth Taylor estate’s website, as well as in Western press coverage. The real inscription, which is in Persian Nastaliq, bears the name of Nur Jahan, the phrase “Lady of the Padshah,” and the Islamic year 1037 (approximately A.D. 1627-1628, the year Jahangir died). This careless mistranslation is not the only form of disrespect to the necklace; when Cartier acquired the jewelry, it removed the traditional Indian silk cord and replaced it with a gold and ruby chain.
Robbie’s adornment of the necklace is not the only case of colonial artifacts landing in the hands of ignorant white celebrities. At the 2022 Met Gala, YouTuber Emma Chamberlain wore the Patiala necklace; it had belonged to Bhupinder Singh, the Maharaja of Patiala (the fourth-largest city in Punjab, India today), and was also acquired by Cartier, who loaned it to Chamberlain for the event. However, when Punjabi singer Diljit Dosanjh requested Cartier to borrow the same necklace for the 2025 Met Gala, he was refused. This was an especial affront to Dosanjh, who had crafted his Met Gala look to honor his Punjabi heritage, and the Patiala necklace would have been the perfect accessory. The theme that year was Black Dandyism, which was supposed to pay homage to Black fashion as resistance; the irony of Cartier refusing Dosanjh the Patiala necklace was not lost on South Asians.
Ultimately, the blame for this egregious fashion statement does not lie with one single person. Although multiple figures are implicated in this offensive choice, from Robbie and her team to Cartier to the Elizabeth Taylor estate, the larger question remains: why does anyone other than the South Asian community get to dictate where our artifacts end up? Why should a French luxury house have the power to say “yes” to white celebrities wearing invaluable Indian jewelry that was likely acquired through colonial plunder — while simultaneously refusing their Indian counterparts the same opportunity? And when will the devaluation of our jewels, culture, and heritage end?
Contact the editors responsible for this article: Caitlin Donovan, Avery Finley
