Culture & Style
Isha Ambani Just Wore the Most Expensive Red Carpet Jewel of All Time
By Grant Mobley, May 1, 2025
An astonishing 481.42 carats of natural diamonds pay tribute to one
of the most legendary jewels in history—only this time, it’s real.
Isha Ambani attends the 2025 Met Gala Celebrating “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 05, 2025 in New York City. (Getty Images)
Isha Ambani’s Met Gala necklace redefined this year’s red carpet entirely. The night reached its pinnacle moment when she stunned everyone with the exceptional necklace that lay on her collarbone. The necklace features a spectacular assembly of 481.42 carats of natural colorless diamonds with an 80.73-carat cushion-cut centerpiece that instantly mesmerized jewelry lovers and experts worldwide. No on-screen moment has ever matched the real-life magnificence of this necklace since the “Heart of the Ocean” made its appearance in Titanic.
Ahead, we break down the inspiration and fascinating history behind the groundbreaking necklace Isha Ambani wore to the 2025 Met Gala.
Meet the Expert
- Grant Mobley is the Jewelry & Watch Editor of Only Natural Diamonds.
- He is a GIA Graduate Diamonds Graduate.
- He has over 17 years of jewelry industry experience, starting with growing up in his family’s retail jewelry stores.
The Inspiration Behind Isha Ambani’s Met Gala Necklace
But unlike its Hollywood counterparts, this necklace is no movie prop. It is a masterpiece of high jewelry and potentially the most valuable piece ever showcased on a red carpet. Its design pays homage to one of the most iconic jewels in history: Jacques Cartier crafted this exquisite diamond necklace for the Maharaja of Nawanagar in 1931.
It was described as “the finest cascade of colored diamonds in the world.” The Queen of Holland diamond, which weighs 136.25 carats and is internally flawless, formed the original necklace’s centerpiece. It was surrounded by an array of extremely rare natural fancy color diamonds in green, blue, and pink. Unfortunately, the original necklace was dismantled in the 1960s, with the diamonds being sold off individually to private collectors. It only exists now in Cartier’s design archives and jewelry lore.
A Replica of the Necklace Had a Starring Role in Ocean’s Eight
In the 2018 film Ocean’s Eight, Cartier produced a version of the Maharaja’s necklace with zirconium oxide for Anne Hathaway‘s Met Gala theft scene. Recreating the necklace in natural diamonds proved too costly, even for the famed jewelry house. The replica paid respect to Cartier’s history, yet it existed only in fiction. The Oceans Eight necklace was named the “Jeanne Toussaint,” as a tribute to the bold and independent creative director who was responsible for the identity and style of Cartier throughout the 1930s. That replica is now housed at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. Isha Ambani’s Met Gala necklace, however, is no replica. It is the real deal and surpasses every jewelry lover’s dreams.
The size and complexity of this piece, coupled with the prominent family involved, make the secretive commissioning and quiet construction of the necklace a truly remarkable achievement. The fact that Isha Ambani’s Met Gala necklace appeared unannounced on one of the planet’s most observed red carpets demonstrates the Ambani family‘s ability to operate discreetly and their powerful influence and wealth. Given a time when celebrity dining choices generate news coverage, this secretive creation and presentation of a $100 million necklace remains truly remarkable.
Why did they build this necklace out of colorless diamonds instead of the rare color diamonds from the original design? The answer lies in the rarity and impossibility of the original materials. Natural colored diamonds of the same size and quality as those in the Maharaja’s necklace are exceedingly rare, which makes assembling such a collection today virtually impossible.
Even for the Ambanis, whose wealth is unmatched, the task would be prohibitively expensive and logistically unfeasible. The largest fancy color diamonds ever found, such as the Pink Star with 59.60 carats and the Blue Moon of Josephine weighing 12.03 carats, represent nature’s unique miracles. Gathering enough color diamonds to match the original necklace requires a collection that simply does not exist.
How Isha Ambani’s Met Gala Necklace Was Made
Instead, the designers selected top-quality natural colorless diamonds to make this unrivaled homage to the Maharaja’s original design. While also incredibly rare, these stones allow for the recreation of the original grandeur without compromising on the splendor. The 80.73-carat cushion-cut diamond alone would be enough to crown most royal jewelry collections, yet here, it serves only as an anchor to the necklace’s lavishness. Together with a combination of cushion, emerald, pear, and round brilliant cut diamonds, they form a cascading symmetrical arrangement that evokes old-world majesty within this necklace.
The skillful workmanship matches the impressive carat weight. The stones float while their seamless links generate motion and smoothness. This jewelry design pays homage to historical styles yet delivers a firmly contemporary execution, demonstrating jewelry’s ability to connect different eras. The exclusive use of natural diamonds reflects the Ambani family’s deep-rooted appreciation for heritage, authenticity, and permanence.
Isha Ambani’s Met Gala necklace is likely the most valuable piece ever worn on a red carpet. Even Lady Gaga’s 128-carat Tiffany Yellow Diamond at the Oscars can’t match Isha Ambani’s Met Gala necklace and its combined carat weight and market value. With a centerpiece surpassing 80 carats and over 400 additional carats of natural diamonds, its valuation likely eclipses anything ever seen in modern public life.
Adding to its intrigue is that, according to Isha, the necklace comes from her mother’s personal collection, Nita Ambani. That speaks volumes about the family’s legacy, taste, and generational investment in exceptional jewels. While it’s unclear whether the necklace was made by a known heritage jeweler or commissioned as a one-of-one private creation, its arrival has changed the conversation around red carpet jewelry.
Isha Ambani’s Met Gala Necklace Is The Real Deal
This necklace stands as a permanent statement against the backdrop of fleeting fashion trends and disposable style moments. It’s not trendy—it’s timeless. It’s not rented—it’s revered. The necklace represents not just a copy but a fundamental revival of a legendary piece from jewelry history. Only this time, it’s real, wearable, and unforgettable.
On a night that celebrates fashion, Isha Ambani’s Met Gala necklace showcased the real essence of luxury to the world. It glows. It endures. At times, it makes its first appearance under the Met’s chandeliers with flashbulbs illuminating nearly 500 carats of the planet’s most valuable material. Though the Maharaja’s necklace disappeared from history, its remarkable tribute keeps its legacy thriving to this day.
