It's interesting how people regard the cut of the stones as ruining the gems, since to the Indian Royals, the uncut stones could have made a statement of wealth rather than brilliance by glittering in the candle light. There is a also a feeling of the personality of the stone, which is lost if it is uniformly cut.

I'm South Asian, so I really admire necklaces (called 'rani haar', meaning Queen's necklace) like this, though I feel they look much better with traditional clothes than Victorian fashions. My grandmothers have a couple of beautiful examples, though these are big statement pieces, meaning they are rarely worn.

However, I think this necklace would be a lovely choice for a Gala related to India (maybe on the Duchess of Cornwall at the annual British Asian Trust Dinner), since this doesn't have a murky history like most other Indian jewels in the Royal vaults!