Polki
Polki is jewellery set with uncut, unpolished natural diamonds in their raw form, often backed with foil for a soft glow.
Polki is jewellery set with uncut, unpolished natural diamonds left close to their raw state. Rather than faceting the stone for maximum sparkle, the diamond is used flat and largely as nature formed it, often with a thin sheet of silver or gold foil placed behind it to lift a soft, warm glow. It is a heritage style, usually kundan set and paired with meenakari.
Uncut diamonds, not imitations
The key fact about polki is that the stones are real, natural diamonds. They are simply uncut or minimally worked, so they keep an irregular, flat form rather than the precise facets of a modern brilliant. This is how diamonds were used before modern cutting, which is why polki carries such a strong sense of heritage.
Because the stones are not faceted to bounce light, polki does not sparkle sharply like a cut diamond. It glows. To enhance that glow, a reflective foil is traditionally set behind each stone, giving the characteristic soft, luminous warmth that distinguishes polki from brilliant cut diamond jewellery.
How polki relates to kundan and meenakari
Polki rarely travels alone. The uncut stones are almost always held in kundan settings, the pure gold foil technique, and the backs of the pieces are frequently finished with meenakari enamel. So a single grand necklace can be polki, kundan and meenakari all at once: polki for the stones, kundan for the setting, meenakari for the enamelled reverse.
This is where polki separates from cut diamond jewellery and from stone simulants. Polki is genuine natural diamond in raw form, valued for that authenticity and its old world character, whereas a cut diamond piece is prized for engineered brilliance. Buyers choosing polki are usually after heritage and craftsmanship rather than sparkle.
Value and what to check
Polki is a premium bridal category. Because the stones are natural diamonds, even uncut, the material cost is significant, and the kundan and meenakari work adds heavily to the making charge. Buyers should confirm the stones are natural uncut diamonds rather than glass or other simulants, and understand that polki is graded and valued differently from certified brilliant cut stones.
- Polki uses uncut, unpolished natural diamonds.
- It glows softly rather than sparkling like a cut stone.
- Foil behind each stone lifts its warm luminance.
- It is usually kundan set and finished with meenakari.
Polki, in short.
Are polki diamonds real?
Yes. Polki stones are genuine natural diamonds, just uncut or minimally worked rather than faceted. Their raw form is why they glow softly instead of sparkling like a modern brilliant cut.
Why does polki glow instead of sparkle?
Because the diamonds are not faceted to refract light sharply. A reflective foil placed behind each stone lifts a soft, warm luminance, which is the signature look of polki jewellery.
How is polki different from kundan?
Polki refers to the uncut diamond stones, while kundan refers to the gold foil setting technique that usually holds them. Most polki pieces are set using the kundan method.
Related terms
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