Shah Jahan’s dagger, 1629-1636, Northern India, Jade and gold engraved jawhar, photo Prudence Cuming for the Al Thani collection

A year ago exactly was opening at the V and A an exhibition of Indian jewelry from the Al Thani collection. So I thought the new show at Grand Palais would be an exact repeat of the already beautiful but small exhibition. Well not at all! The show curated by Dr Amin Jaffer and Amina Taha-Hussein Okada from Musée Guimet is three times more important and incredibly well designed. It is a festival of fireworks of diamonds and emeralds in the Salon d’Honneur of Grand Palais.

Aigrette by Paul Iribe, an Indian emerald mounted in Paris in 1910, photo Prudence Cuming for the Al Thani collection

As you enter the dark room, a scintillating net of lights welcomes you in a sacred sanctuary reminding of the Taj Mahal. The scenography by bGc studio is very extraordinary and the precious stones become more magical in their little showcases. I immediately loved on the right at the entrance the many jade daggers with camels and horse heads which reveal so much about Indian Maharajah’s culture. Moghul gems face Cartier’s turn of the century extravagant mountings. It was the first time I saw gold engraved emeralds and they date from the 17 th century like the turban’s ornaments. The little spoons in jade and later ones in gold diamond and rubis in the 1800’s were surprisingly lavish, bottles in diamond and emeralds were equally pleasing.

Dr Amin Jaffer is the curator of the collection and was for many years an expert at Christies

This show is the result of a collecting passion by Cheikh Hamad ben Abdullah al- Thani, from Qatar, who spent ten years assembling these extraordinary objects with Dr Amin Jaffer, a former curator at the V and A. “From the Great Mughals to the Maharajas” is a show of 279 pieces presenting the evolution of Indian jewelry  up to the age of the Durban. Golconda diamond mines, where many dynastic gems originated are present as well as jade and rock crystal.

Cartier, Rubis and diamond necklace, photo Christie’s

Contemporary designers such as JAR and Viren Bhagat are well represented in the last section of the show.  The large pearl necklace designed by JAR with ten rows of natural pearls is reminiscent of the portrait of Muhammad ‘Al Wallajah, Nawab of Arcot by Tilly Kettle lent by the V and A. It is a total marvel! (Grand Palais until June 5)