Trends come and go, but diamonds are forever. And no one testifies with this adage as much as the Ambani family. Just circle back to the most talked-about pre-wedding celebrations of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant in March 2024 in Jamnagar in Gujarat for all the proof you need.
Mukesh Ambani, who chairs and runs his $116 billion diverse conglomerate Reliance Industries, claims the number 1 position on the 2023 Forbes list of India’s 100 Richest and fifth in Asia. As expected, the family including his wife Nita, daughter Isha, daughters-in-law Shloka and Radhika Merchant pulled out all their fineries for the gala events. While every single outfit deserved the spotlight, it was impossible to ignore the magnificent jewels that indicate their wealth and luxury. And we don’t mean just one-of-a-kind pieces, we are talking billion-dollar baubles.
Nita Ambani wore the rarest diamonds and biggest emeralds ever
Nita Ambani’s jewellery choices at her son’s pre-wedding festivities serve as an easy masterclass for maximalism. High-octane diamond pieces to bespoke creations, she opted for several regal regalia for the three-day celebrations.
On the third day, she captivated our attention with her necklace that is adorned with diamonds and emeralds, with two large stones as the centrepieces. It's unclear how much the stunning necklace initially cost, but experts estimate it to be worth around INR 500 crores, or roughly £48 million.
With the same sari, she wore a historical ring, which is said to be part of Mughal Empire. Reportedly auctioned by Christie’s in 2019, Nita wore a huge diamond ring titled 'Mirror of Paradise' which is said to be worth £5 million, according to its website. Dating back to 1800s, the 52.58-carat piece belonged to Mughal empire's collection titled 'Maharajas and Mughal Magnificence' from the Golconda diamond mines.
Another insane ring with a sizeable diamond was the pear-shaped diamond she wore for the sangeet night, when she performed with husband Mukesh. Of course, she teamed it with a diamond suite to match.
Isha Ambani wore a blouse made of gold and diamonds
Yes, that’s right! If you’re Isha Ambani, you don’t need to just wear diamonds and gemstones around your neck. You might as well get them embedded on your clothes too. For one of the occasions, she wore a custom red lehenga by Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla, which is handcrafted with real jadau jewellery. While most belong to her personal collection, others were brought from Gujarat and Rajasthan especially to be stitched on to the garment. “The precious ornaments were dismantled and reinvented into couture where each jewel was first placed on hand-drawn paper patterns. After rounds of artistic experimentation, different stitches of pure gold and silver sardozi work were infused with the jewellery pieces to create the blouse,” the designers reveal.
That’s not all, Isha shone bright (quite literally!) with striking emeralds. For the 'Mela Rouge' evening, she donned a scarlet Manish Malhotra lehenga, accentuating her look with a dazzling emerald necklace, matching green earrings, and a stunning cocktail ring. Her bracelet, which seems to be encrusted with emeralds over 25 carats each, was unmissable.
Like mother, like daughter. For the last leg of the occasion, Isha borrowed a diamond and emerald necklace that Nita wore for her elder son, Akash Ambani’s wedding in March 2019.
For the A Walk on the Wildside event, where the dress code was ‘Jungle Fever’, she borrowed her bhabhi Radhika Merchant’s unique three-finger diamond ring that Radhika wore for the launch event of NMACC in 2023. This time, Isha paired it with an olive-green-hued strapless corset top featuring stone embellishments and relaxed cargo pants designed by Kanika Goyal, adorned with animal-shaped brooches.
Shloka Ambani proved why pearls aren’t for grandmas anymore
Mukesh Ambani’s eldest daughter-in-law, Shloka is also known for her exquisite taste for rare trinkets. With her luxe lehenga by Manish Malhotra, she opted for an array of diamond accessories. She wore stunning diamond ear cuffs and a matching diamond necklace, both of which beautifully showcased intricate floral designs.
She then topped it with another statement look with her gold Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla lehenga that shimmered with multiple zardozi borders. What stood out was her multi-layered pearl necklace teamed with another multi-layered diamond neckpiece, completed with intricately embellished pearl bangles, earrings and maang tikka.
Among the OTT pieces, Shloka wore a “demure” necklace with her pink Manish Malhotra sari. But there’s nothing lowkey about it. The zig-zag choker that was studded with massive heart shaped diamonds.