Indian crown for Britain’s queen

First, their designs became ubiquitous on A-listers of Hollywood from Inglorious Basterds' (2009) Diane Kruger to Modern Family’s Sofia Vergara. Now, popular Indian jewellery label Amrapali has added another jewel to its crown

First, their designs became ubiquitous on A-listers of Hollywood from Inglorious Basterds' (2009) Diane Kruger to Modern Family’s Sofia Vergara. Now, popular Indian jewellery label Amrapali has added another jewel to its crown… literally. To mark Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee as monarch of Great Britain, the brand was commissioned by luxury department store Harrods to create a signature headpiece.

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The crown, which will be displayed at the flagship store at Knightsbridge, established in 1834, was handcrafted in Jaipur by the brand’s artisans. “They approached us three months ago to make something that would signify India’s association with England, specifically related to tea,” reveals Rajiv Arora, co-founder, Amrapali Jewels.

“England didn’t grow tea indigenously. They would import it from plantations in Assam and Darjeeling. But it slowly became an inextricable part of English culture. To represent this cultural exchange, we created a teapot on top of the crown,” he adds.

The crown also has two elephants on either side of the tea pot, a symbol from Indian iconography. It will be displayed at Harrods until June 15. “Though not very expensive, it is very beautiful and we are proud to be the only Asian company to be invited to be part of the display,” says Rajiv, of the Rs 2 lakh masterpiece, which will be seen alongside crowns from top brands like Lanvin, Tiffany, Boucheron and Dom Perignon.

“We chose not to use precious stones because the value wasn’t important. But it is already the most photographed crown in the store,” he exults.