Kundan
Kundan is a traditional Indian technique that sets stones by pressing layers of highly refined gold foil around them.
Kundan is one of the oldest gem setting techniques in India, and the word refers both to the craft and to the highly refined pure gold used in it. Stones, whether polki diamonds, gems or glass, are held in place by pressing thin layers of this purified gold around each one over a shaped base. The result is a flush, gleaming setting with no visible prongs.
How a kundan piece is built
Kundan work is a layered process carried out by several specialist hands. A frame is made and its hollows are filled with lac, a natural resin, which supports the stones from behind. The stones are pressed into the softened lac to seat them, and then the setting begins.
The defining step is the kundan itself. Strips of extremely pure, softened gold foil are inserted between each stone and the frame and pressed down repeatedly, cold, until the gold grips the stone and forms a smooth bezel around it. Pure gold is used precisely because it is soft enough to be worked this way at room temperature. Often the reverse of the piece is finished with meenakari enamel.
What makes kundan distinct
The look is unmistakable: stones sit flush in bright frames of gold with a continuous, mirror like border, and no claws or prongs interrupt the surface. Because the gold does the holding, the settings can be broad and flat, which is why kundan lends itself to grand, statement bridal pieces.
Kundan is frequently confused with polki, but they describe different things. Kundan is the setting method, the gold foil technique. Polki is a type of stone, an uncut natural diamond, which is often set using the kundan method. A piece can be kundan set with polki stones, which is why the two words appear together so often.
Where it is worn
Kundan is a mainstay of North Indian bridal and festive jewellery, especially from Rajasthan and Gujarat where the craft has deep roots. Broad chokers, layered necklaces, maang tikkas and jhumkas in kundan are wedding staples, valued for the richness of the gold work and the heritage the technique carries.
- Kundan is a setting technique using refined pure gold foil.
- Stones are seated in a lac base and framed by pressed gold.
- Pure gold is used because it is soft enough to work cold.
- Kundan is a method, polki is a stone, and the two often combine.
Kundan, in short.
What is the difference between kundan and polki?
Kundan is the setting technique that presses refined gold foil around a stone. Polki is the stone itself, an uncut natural diamond. Polki diamonds are frequently set using the kundan method, which is why the terms overlap.
Why is pure gold used in kundan work?
Pure 24K gold is soft and malleable, so it can be pressed and worked around each stone at room temperature to form a tight bezel. A harder alloy could not be manipulated the same way.
What is the lac used for in a kundan piece?
Lac, a natural resin, fills the hollow frame and supports the stones from behind. The stones are pressed into the softened lac to seat them before the gold foil setting is applied.
Related terms
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