| The jewelry of India knows no bounds in its | | | | pushed right into the still pliable kundan. |
| offerings to the modern world. This is | | | | |
| because India must be one of the most | | | | Kundan jewelry is also one of the old types |
| prolific countries when it comes to making | | | | of jewelry in India because the style on |
| jewelry, whether it be the simple enjoyable | | | | which it was made was used only way back when |
| ones or the highly delicate ones that are | | | | claw settings were still yet unknown in the |
| intricate in its designs. There are just many | | | | country. Then, kundan jewelry had its |
| types of Indian jewelry that even the young | | | | precious stones were only set in gold and it |
| could find what they want among its offering | | | | wasn't only until the nineteenth century that |
| of beads and shells in interwoven colorful | | | | claw settings were introduced and used by the |
| threads. One of the most highly regarded | | | | jewelers in India. This was during the |
| Indian jewelry nowadays is the kundan | | | | Rajastahan empire when kings paid their |
| jewelry. | | | | jewelers handsomely for the exquisite kundan |
| | | | jewelry that they made that called for |
| Kundan jewelry is made of gold that is highly | | | | excellent craftsmanship. |
| refined and is known as kundan in India. | | | | |
| Indian jewelers also have another meaning of | | | | There are now a lot of kundan jewelry |
| the word. For them, kundan is not only the | | | | available in the market and they could even |
| gold that is made into a jewel but also the | | | | be bought online. There are spectacularly |
| type of setting on which they set the | | | | designed kundan jewelry necklace sets that |
| precious stones. Kundan jewelry is not made | | | | come with earrings. The most common are those |
| of real solid gold. Its center part is made | | | | that have uncut diamonds and other precious |
| of lac or a natural resin made from hardened | | | | stones set in gold. Among the commonly used |
| tree sap. The jewelry pieces that makes the | | | | gems in kundan jewelry are emeralds, rubies |
| whole kundan jewelry, which are usually | | | | and sapphires. This kundan jewelry, though, |
| justified into hollow separate halves, are | | | | is often just a replica of the original one |
| usually handled by separate jewelers or | | | | made in the eighteenth or seventeenth or |
| assistant jewelers for its shaping before | | | | nineteenth centuries. The original pieces |
| they are fitted together through soldering. | | | | could sell for as much as $200,000 or more |
| Holes are then bored into the separate halves | | | | per set. |
| of the kundan jewelry, once they are fitted | | | | |
| together to make the pattern designed by the | | | | Buying kundan jewelry nowadays may have been |
| jeweler. These holes are where the stones are | | | | made more attainable for those who have |
| set. Any engraving is done before the hollows | | | | deeper pockets as compared to the olden times |
| of the kundan jewelry are then inserted with | | | | when only kings and queens could afford them. |
| lac. Because the lac could still be seen | | | | Having kundan jewelry replicated and sold at |
| through the holes in front, the highly | | | | lower prices is a welcome alternative for |
| refined kundan gold is poured on the setting | | | | those who could not afford to buy the |
| to cover the lac and only then is the stone | | | | original antique pieces. |