The Untold Treasures of Her Highness Sheikha Moza of Qatar

The untold treasures of Her Highness Sheikha Moza Sheikha Moza bint Nasr al-Misnad, born on August 8th, 1959, stands as a global emblem of poise, refinement and sophistication. As one of the prominent consorts of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, the former emir of Qatar, she commands attention not only for her magnetic presence, but also for her unparalleled jewellery collection. Known for its unique customisation, her collection never fails to impress. Sheikha Moza's most polished and perfectly curated image is complemented by her absolutely put-together, extraordinary high jewellery collection. Her treasure trove of jewels is nothing short of breathtaking, featuring masterpieces from legendary houses such as her undeniable favourite Cartier, David Webb, Bulgari, Mikimoto and more. Sheikha Moza, recognised for her influence, was named one of Forbes 100 Most Powerful Women in 2007 and 2010. As the owner of Le Tanier, a prestigious French luxury brand, she has firmly established herself in the luxury market. Revered as a global fashion icon, she's celebrated in both the Middle East and the West. Now, let's discover which of the jewels in her collection was acquired for an extraordinary sum at a private auction by an anonymous bidder. This time, deciding where to begin was no easy feat. Every piece in her collection is a spectacle of its own. But today, we're starting with the showstopper. Her mesmerising necklace that left us utterly spellbound, paired with the most exquisite pearls in the world, Cartier's Eternity Snake. This breathtaking Cartier Eternity Snake diamond necklace, valued at an astounding $12 million, is a masterpiece believed to have been exquisitely customised for Sheikha Moza. Originally debuted by Naomi Campbell in 1998, this platinum marvel was crafted to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Maison. The original design featured two of the world's largest emeralds, weighing 205 and 206 carats, alongside 26 baroque pear emeralds, 3,957 diamonds and exquisite fine pearls. For Sheikha Moza, this iconic piece was reimagined with unparalleled elegance, replacing the massive emeralds with two spectacular white diamonds and removing the smaller emeralds and pearls for a sleeker, more refined look. Sheikha Moza famously wore this dazzling creation with a grey J Mendel Kutra gown at an event in London in 2010, leaving everyone spellbound. Valued at a staggering $12 million, this necklace is a true testament to her enchanting style and timeless sophistication. Pearls, everlasting love. The allure of pearls is timeless, an obsession that transcends time for women everywhere. Her Highness's collection spans from simple strands to layered masterpieces, including everything from salty pearls to Tahitian treasures, featuring iconic names like Mikimoto, Robert Wan and Cartier. Sheikha Moza owns a stunning 17-inch Mikimoto Golden Sea Cultured Pearl Necklace, crafted from A-plus quality pearls. The necklace is accented with a pavé diamond clasp and an 18-carat yellow gold setting. Adorned with 72 diamonds totaling 1.88 carats. This exquisite piece graced her neck during her 2023 trip to New York City and was also seen on her visit to Spain in 2011. Another exquisite piece in Sheikha Moza's collection comes from the renowned Emperor of Pearls, Robert Wan. She has been frequently seen draped in long strands of the finest glossy Tahitian pearls. Their deep, lustrous hues ranging from dark blue to iridescent peacock shades. Each pearl in the strand is perfectly round, showcasing a rich, velvety sheen that captures the light with every movement, culminating in a luxurious 18-carat white gold clasp. This stunning display of Tahitian pearls adorned her neck during her visit to Malaysia in May 2009. How could we move on without mentioning Sheikha Moza's iconic Cartier Pearl Necklaces, which stunned everyone with her pearl-adorned look at the wedding of Prince Moulay Rashid of Morocco. One of the standout pieces made in the 1930s features five graduated rows of natural gulf pearls, beautifully interspersed with spacers set with step, circular cut and baguette diamonds, with clasps similarly designed. She complemented this with another Cartier masterpiece, the Le Tavernier Necklace, named after Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, the French explorer who conducted business in India in the 17th century. The necklace is set with two legendary Golconda diamonds from India, known for their rarity and historic significance. Made with 56.07 carats of diamonds and three multicoloured pearls, it was valued at €4 million in 2001. Today, experts estimate its worth to have surpassed €10 million, as the Golconda diamonds, once abundant, are now virtually extinct in the market, making this piece even more extraordinary and coveted. From the timeless allure of pearls, let's explore another dazzling masterpiece from Cartier's exceptional collection, Udiana Necklace. This tutti-frutti-designed necklace is one of the most unforgettable pieces in Sheikha Moser's collection, celebrated for its symbolic style and the vibrant colour palette reminiscent of the 1920s. It features a rich array of carved rubies, emeralds and sapphires, and is ingeniously designed to be worn in multiple ways as a necklace, pendant or brooch. The standout feature of the necklace is the 67.7 carat hexagonal ruby pendant from Mozambique, beautifully engraved by hand in a technique dating back to the Mughal era of the 17th century. The pendant is surrounded by delicate diamonds that hug the gemstone. Sheikha Moser showcased a lighter version of this stunning piece as a pendant at the Doha Jewellery and Watch Exhibition in 2022. Sheikha Moser's collection is a vibrant celebration of colour, with coloured gemstones being her main jewellery passion. Beyond her stunning coloured gemstone necklaces, she also owns remarkable earrings and diamond-studded bracelets, each piece showcasing her love for vivid hues and adding depth to her extraordinary collection. The Bogossian emerald diamond earrings from the Kissing collection are a true masterpiece. These Colombian emerald earrings are designed so that the stones appear to float, with the upper stone cut traditionally and the lower stone flatter to minimise gold and let the gems shine uniquely and brilliantly. The earthy green hues were seen on Sheikha Moser during her meeting with the French President in Paris. Sheikha Moser's personal favourite for coloured gemstone earclips is Vendura, and she owns some stunning pieces. One standout is the Stardust Cluster earclips, featuring five milky moonstones and diamond-set stars set in 18-carat white gold. She wore them with a custom milky aquamarine necklace from the same brand during her meeting with the President of Malta. She also dazzled in Vendura's Rope Knot earclips in turquoise, showcasing polished turquoise pebbles caught in a net of 18-carat yellow gold. These summery blue earclips were paired with a matching pebble bracelet featuring cabochon turquoise during her visit with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at the UN headquarters. Another gem beauty that's impossible to overlook is Sheikha Moser's Robert Eric bracelet, featuring a stunning 52.35-carat oval-shaped cabochon-cut aquamarine, complemented by 65.13-carats of oval-shaped cabochon-cut tourmaline and 0.65-carats of diamonds, scattered like stars. This elegant bracelet in soft green and blue hues was worn by Sheikha Moser during her legendary state visit to Spain in 2011. Her extraordinary love for coloured gems is clear, and she certainly knows where to find the most exquisite pieces. We cannot move forward without highlighting Sheikha Moser's iconic Cartier bracelet, featuring the colossal 128.48-carat diamond known as Le Mar, or the Estrela do Sul. This historic cushion-shaped diamond, discovered in Brazil in 1853, originally weighed 254.5-carats before being cut into its current oval cushion shape, graded as fancy-light pinkish-brown. The diamond has a rich history, once part of the Maharaja of Baroda's legendary jewellery collection. It was famously worn by Maharaja Sayajirao in a magnificent necklace, as seen in official portraits from 1903, and later by Maharani Sitar Deva in 1948. Acquired by Cartier in 2002 from Mumbai, this exceptional gem was set into a platinum bracelet for the 2006 Biennale des Antiquaires in Paris. After 75 years, the diamond made a dazzling return in June 2023, gracing Sheikha Moser's wrist at the wedding banquet of Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan and Rajwa al-Saif at the Al-Husseiniya Palace in Amman. Another standout piece in Sheikha Moser's collection is a thick gold bracelet by Mario Bucciolati. One of her favourites is the Italian brand, celebrated for its intricate engraving techniques like rigato, telato and modulato, which create dazzling textures. Sheikha Moser has been spotted wearing this tulle white and yellow gold bracelet, a rare example of texture engraving on gold, accented with diamonds in a floral motif at its centre. She often pairs this with another custom-made bracelet of a similar design and breathtaking Bucciolati diamond cocktail earrings. The pendant earrings feature an oval top with a drop pendant in yellow gold, showcasing a yellow sapphire surrounded by diamonds on white gold and edge with silhouettes in engraved white gold. They include 228 round brilliant diamonds totalling 2.23 carats. She wore this stunning Bucciolati ensemble during the opening of the Qatar National Library. A similar version of the earrings, featuring a ruby instead of the yellow sapphire, graced her during an official visit to London with her husband. Another highlight from Her Highness' exquisite jewellery collection is the Cartier Swanson bracelet, originally designed in 1930 and famously purchased by Gloria Swanson. Crafted from platinum, diamonds and rock crystal, it exemplifies innovative design during the Great Depression by incorporating affordable materials. In 1971, Cartier introduced a refined version with more diamonds and minimal rock crystal. Sheikha Moser wore this iconic piece during a wedding event. Equally striking are her understated yet remarkable Bulgari Rome Eclipse earrings, worn at the United Nations Human Rights Council session in Geneva on March 1st, 2013. These gem-set cluster earrings, part of Bulgari's exclusive Privé collection, feature 128 round brilliant cut diamonds of 5.76 carats set in 18-carat white gold, showcasing elegance at its finest. Her Highness' jewellery collection extends far beyond earrings and bracelets, featuring remarkable brooches and iconic panther-themed pieces that have enchanted admirers over the years. Belle Époque winged brooch. These breathtakingly regal wings are more than just a visual marvel. They exude an ethereal charm, a testament to the exquisite craftsmanship of Joseph Chaumet. This magnificent tiara, designed in 1910 as a special commission for Mrs Payne Whitney, features a platinum frame adorned with a pair of intricately detailed wings. The feathers are meticulously set with 566 diamonds and 708 rose-cut stones, accented by translucent blue enamel, creating an otherworldly glow. What sets this masterpiece apart is its versatility. The wings can be adjusted to different angles or detached to be worn as individual brooches, either separately or as a pair. Valued at $275,000, this historic creation has graced many occasions, most notably during the FIFA Qatar World Cup opening, where it added a celestial aura to Her Highness' appearance. Equally captivating are Her Highness' two magnificent Cartier scarab brooches, which have left us in awe. These exquisitely dazzling golden pieces, designed as scarabs, feature smoky quartz alatra paired with a circular-cut diamond body, head, antennae and legs. The design is further elevated by a pair of diamond-set openwork hinged wings, all mounted in gleaming gold. First showcased as part of Cartier's Crystallization of Time exhibition in Tokyo in 2019, these striking beetle-inspired brooches have since become a signature accessory for Her Highness. She has worn them both as brooches and as elegant headscarf accents, most notably during a state dinner at the Élysée Palace in Paris in 2009. We conclude her legendary high jewellery collection with the iconic Panthère de Cartier pieces. Her passion for exceptional jewellery shines through this emblematic panther, which first leapt into Cartier's designs in 1914, captivating the world with its unparalleled artistry. This symbolic pendant, pavissette with brilliant-cut diamonds and polished black onyx, features a drop-shaped emerald suspended from an adjustable black silk cord, adorned with cabochon onyx and emerald terminals, as well as a diamond pavissette cylinder. She paired it with a stunning set of 18-carat white gold emerald and diamond pendant earrings. Each earring is crafted with twin bommie panels, pavissette with 98 brilliant-cut diamonds and onyx spot detailing, joined by a diamond-set loop and finished with a fringe of collet-set diamonds and three emerald bead terminals totalling 2.28 carats. She debuted this dazzling combination during the Bastille Day celebrations in Paris in 2008. Another favourite from her collection is a subtle yet exquisite take on the panther motif necklace. This masterpiece features a graceful cascade of white gold adorned with 19 emeralds, 51 onyx stones, 1 onyx nose and 1,255 brilliant-cut diamonds, totalling an impressive 17.43 carats. One standout moment that caught everyone's attention was her appearance during her visit to India to meet Mr. Manmohan Singh. She dazzled in a panther d'Cartier bracelet, which had been secretly purchased at a private auction by an anonymous buyer in 2010 for an astounding $6,962,725. The bracelet featured a panther with emerald eyes, its sleek, articulated body painted with black enamel and adorned with approximately 25 carats of brilliant-cut diamonds. She also wore a panther d'Cartier brooch on her headscarf, set with diamonds totalling around 7.6 carats, along with onyx and emerald eyes. The brooch's head could rotate and its front paws were mounted. Truly, her style was mesmerising, making her an undeniable head-turner. Sheikha Moser is truly the epitome of beauty, style and grace. Everything she does leaves a lasting impression, from her stunning jewellery to her exquisite dresses. Her passion for Cartier and Vendura is well known, and she continues to expand her remarkable collection. Do let us know which Cartier piece has impressed you the most. But before that, don't forget to show your support by subscribing and hitting the like button as we bring you another untold story of a precious jewel.