The Ambani Wedding: Our Jewellery Predictions

Jewellery industry insider and content creator Julia Hackman Chafé shares her predictions on the lavish jewels likely to be worn by the Ambani bridal party this weekend

The wedding of the year is upon us, and if the pre-wedding celebrations are anything to go by, we are expecting the Ambani family to showcase their extraordinary jewellery collection like never before over the coming days.

For almost every bride, jewellery is always front of mind; its scintillating brilliance brings even the simplest gown to life, and it holds precious meaning for a lifetime, or longer. Often lovingly borrowed, or carefully brought out from a precious hiding place, a bride’s jewellery is so much more than an accessory; it often conveys the essence of the woman she wants to be on that ever-so-important day. Nervous fingers seek something to ground us in these whirlwind moments, and sometimes it is the cool contours of a diamond, or the tactile lustre of pearls – perhaps owned by the women who raised us – that bring us back down to earth.

For the Ambani family, jewellery is clearly full of such meaning. While their choices certainly convey their staggering wealth, they also illustrate a deep understanding of jewellery’s ability to convey heritage, shared history and hold memories.

From the historic diamond worn by Nita Ambani – named the Mirror of Paradise, this diamond weighs over 52 carats and was once part of the Mughal empire’s jewellery collection – to the enchanting hair jewel worn by Radhika Merchant to her mausalu ceremony, once worn by her mother for her own nuptials, the bridal party are renowned for their appreciation of rare, remarkable and really meaningful jewels.

All eyes will, of course, be on the bride’s jewellery choices for the three-day extravaganza. Having already worn a flurry of sensational pieces by Lorraine Schwartz, along with opulent suites of jewels by Manish Malhotra, we can expect Radhika to be elaborately adorned for culmination of her wedding celebrations this week.

Julia Hackman Chafé, a jewellery industry insider and content creator with a keen eye for anything that glitters, is an expert at decoding fine jewellery styling and will be attending the Ambani wedding to admire the jewels up-close. Here, she gives Bazaar Arabia her predictions on the lavish diamonds and gemstones that we can’t wait to see.

The Ambani Wedding: Our Jewellery Predictions

Radhika Merchant

For the bride, there are certain pieces of jewellery that are custom for her wedding day. Radhika will likely wear a nose ring, known as a nath, a haathpool – a jewelled piece that adorns the hand – and a teenlada necklace, which traditionally has three-strands of gems that merge into a central pendant. We should also expect to see Radhika wearing a matha patti, a traditional headpiece featuring delicate strands of jewels that frame the hairline, which symbolises a woman’s union with her husband. These pieces can, however, be interpreted in various precious metals and coloured gems, so it remains to be seen which colour theme Radhika will choose.

“For the traditional ceremonies, I see Radhika in beautiful rubies and yellow gold. We first saw Radhika wear rubies at the NMACC gala, and I can see her rocking them again. Since the family loves the talented Manish Malhotra dearly, I would assume the rubies are going to come from him, perhaps complemented by some Viren Bhagat pieces,” says Julia. “When it comes to the reception, we can expect some spectacular jewels. Radhika loves a stacked diamond necklace moment, and I think we might see her in some rubies alongside those diamonds!”

Nita Ambani

For her daughter Isha Ambani’s wedding, Nita Ambani made headlines with her ultra opulent jewels, which included a Nath nose ring adorned with multiple large diamonds and an extraordinary diamond drop. Reflecting on Nita’s choice of jewels for Radhika and Anant’s pre-wedding celebrations, one thing is certain; she will be wearing oversized, jaw-dropping jewels. “I think Nita Ambani will be channelling the brick-sized emeralds that she wore for the pre wedding celebration,” says Julia. “Having to compete with yourself isn’t easy, but I know she’ll wow us!” she quips. “For the more contemporary wedding reception, I think Nita will be decked out in Lorraine Schwartz. We know that Nita loves to surprise us with magnificent Lorraine diamonds.”

Isha Ambani

Throughout the pre-wedding celebrations, Isha Ambani, sister to Anant, has been wearing many hair jewels and headpiece adornments, so we can definitely expect her to wear a special maang tika for the wedding itself. For last Friday’s sangeet celebration, Isha wore a huge lone round diamond as a modern take on the Maang tika, but she usually gravitates towards a different diamond silhouette. “If we’ve seen anything from the Ambani family in the last few years, it’s been tonnes of heart shaped gemstones,” says Julia. “Since Isha wore a suite of Glenn Spiro heart shaped diamonds for the pre-wedding event in March, I can see her in even more major hearts for the actual wedding. Isha also loves to wear Lorraine Schwartz too, so I think we may see some epic heart shape diamonds by the New York-based designer.”