Indian billionaire Sudha Reddy walked this year’s Met Gala red carpet wearing a necklace that is worth more than an entire street of UK houses
The annual Met Gala has always been about conspicuous consumption. From the first of the prestigious events, staged back in 1948 by fashion publicist Eleanor Lambert as a fundraiser for the newly founded Costume Institute, the great and the good of New York’s fashion élite attended in their most eye-catching outfits.
From the early 1970s, the tone of the Met Gala began to shift, taking in a more international and showbiz-oriented guest list. But still the emphasis remained on unique fashion choices, haute couture, and increasingly, priceless jewellery.
In 1996, Princess Diana made headlines around the world when she attended the Met Gala in a simple Dior dress, accessorised with a sapphire and diamond cluster necklace that she had been given by Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother as a wedding gift.
Rihanna, who co-chaired the event in 2018, turned up wearing a vintage Cartier crucifix dating back to 1934, encrusted with diamonds, rubies, and sapphires. Three years later she returned, this time wearing a Bulgari High Jewellery necklace complete with 267 carats of natural diamonds.
But almost certainly the most remarkable, and definitely the most expensive piece of jewellery on display this year was worn by Indiana billionaire Sudha Reddy, who walked the red carpet wearing a $15 million necklace that features a 550-carat tanzanite pendant from Tanzania’s Merelani Hills.
This was the Hyderabad-based businesswoman and philanthropist’s third Met Gala. Ms Reddy, a director at Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Limited and founder of the Sudha Reddy Foundation, first appeared at the invitation-only event in 2021, and in 2024 stunned onlookers with her “Amore Eterno” necklace, which has been valued at over $10 million.
The massive necklace features 25 diamond solitaires totalling more than 180 carats. It also includes one 25-carat and three 20-carat heart-shaped diamonds, connected by 21 additional round diamonds.
This year, Ms Reddy crafted her look with the help of designer Manish Malhotra and stylist Mariel Haenn. In a press release about the ideas behind Ms Reddy’s look, Haenn explained that she was inspired by “the rich artistic and architectural heritage of Hyderabad, weaving ancient Indian craft traditions and embracing the true concept of Costume Art.”
“By including techniques that date back over 3,000 years, they have created a breathtaking, multi-dimensional ensemble that speaks to both cultural legacy and contemporary grandeur,” she added. “The look is a masterful tribute to India’s creative soul.”
But there was a strong reaction against the scale of wealth on display, driven particularly this year by the involvement of Jeff Bezos, who backed the party to the tune of some $10 million.
Anti-billionaire pressure group Everyone Hates Elon concealed around 300 bottles of fake urine throughout the Met prior to the event, drawing attention to the numerous Amazon employees who have complained that they aren’t given time to use the toilet during their shifts.
Each of the bottles bore a photo of Bezos’ face and the slogan: “Boycott the Bezos’ Met Gala.”
In an Instagram post explaining their action, the group said: “Jeff Bezos’s company Amazon is literally being sued for forcing workers to urinate in bottles. Amazon avoids MILLIONS in tax and Bezos is one of the world’s richest men. The Met Museum is taking the P*** by having Jeff honoured as their Gala host. When they celebrate Trump’s billionaires, let’s ridicule them instead.”
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