Shere Khan of Mowgli lore was the typical villain in the story. The villain that you know Mowgli had to be careful of. So when we heard that Shere Khan (or at least his namesake necklace) was up to something good, we were pleasantly surprised. Seems Shere Khan has realised the error of his ways and is trying to gobble up good karma the same way he tried to gobble up Mowgli.
Shere Khan Gold & Diamond Necklace
The Shere Khan necklace is made from solid gold and adorned by diamonds. It is to be auctioned by the Born Free Foundation and the expected £300,000 (491,130 U.S. dollars) are to be used for saving the wild tiger from extinction. The Shere Khan Necklace is a world exclusive: an exquisite, unique, handcrafted piece created by the internationally-acclaimed and award-winning jeweller, Catherine Best.
None other than Joanna Lumley took time out to be photographed wearing this beautiful necklace thus ensuring that the tigers get the maximum funds possible.
Joanna said, ‘“I feel very much that it’s almost a royal piece. The necklace is so special it can be worn with anything, though I feel a strapless evening gown and long evening gloves would show it to perfection. The moment you put the necklace on, it comes alive! It feels great, like a badge of office, but it’s incredibly comfortable and easy to wear. It reminds me of the fabulous pieces in the Duchess of Windsor’s collection – panthers and leopards. I adore extreme looks and this is blingtastic!”
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The gorgeous necklace holds an impressive collection of 182 diamonds and gemstones intricately set in nearly a kilo of 18ct gold. The necklace is delicately enamelled and adorned with a staggering 11.952 cts of round diamonds, over 7 cts of emeralds which combine to highlight the jeweller’s pièce de résistance – each magnificent tiger, male and female, holds a heart in its paws. The male embraces an incredible 27 ct rubellite tourmaline while the female boasts a diamond weighing over 4 cts – truly making it the heart of the necklace.
Catherine was inspired to create the piece after meeting the Born Free Foundation and becoming floored by the amount of work they are putting in to save the tiger. It is estimated that only 3,500 wild tigers remain and numbers of this iconic species are continuing to decline. The main threats to wild tigers include: habitat loss and fragmentation due to mining, logging, farming and human settlement; depletion of their prey base; conflict with humans; and poaching for their skins, bones and other body parts for Traditional Asian Medicine.
Interested in owning the necklace and saving the tiger? The world-wide auction will be by sealed bids only and will commence on the 31st May at 12:00 GMT and will close* at 20:00 hrs GMT at a star-studded gala evening on the 17th June to be held at the Savoy Hotel. The evening marks the 80th Birthday of the actress and wildlife campaigner, Virginia McKenna OBE, who founded the Born Free Foundation.
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The necklace is open to the world to bid for. To register interest email [email protected] or call Private line – 07781 137776
*All outside bids should be in by 16:00hrs GMT on 17th June 2011 and will then be continued with a live telephone auction at the star studded gala evening at the Savoy Hotel
