Kundan Jewellery
Kundan jewellery is one of the oldest form of jewellery which is made in one of the purest form of gold that is 24 carat gold… Kundan is a well-known and very expensive style of stone setting. The hollows in which the stones are to be encrusted are filled with pure gold. Uncut stones, including diamonds are then studded and set. Traditional kundan jewellery has stones encrusted on one side and colourful and intricate meenakari on the reverse. This was done to enhance the look of the piece. Kundan jewellery received great patronage during the Mughal era and the most beautiful pieces were created in those times.Jaipur is the main center of kundan work. The famous Johri Bazaar is the nerve center of this craft. Nathdwara is known for its silver kundan work. Bikaner is also known for its kundan work.
How is it done?
Kundan work is a method of gem setting, consisting of inserting gold foil between the stones and it’s mount. The jewellery piece is first shaped by specialized craftsmen (and soldered together if the shape is complicated). Holes are cut for the precious stones like diamond, emeralds or rubies, any engraving or chasing is carried out, and the pieces are enamelled. When the stones are to be set, lac is inserted in the back, and is then visible in the front through the holes. Highly refined gold, the kundan, is then used to cover the lac and the stone is pushed into the kundan. More kundan is applied around the edges to strengthen the setting and give it a neat appearance.
Kundankari is carried by a group of craftsmen, each carrying out a specific task. The chiterias make the basic designm, the ghaarias are responsible for engraving and making holes, meenakari or enameling is done by the enameller and the goldsmith is takes care of the Kundan or gold. The jadiyas or stone setters, set stones such as jade, rock crystal, agate, garnet, emerald, topaz, amethyst, and spinel into kundan.This was the only form of setting for stones in gold until claw settings were introduced under the influence of western jewellery in the nineteenth century.
Often Kundan work is combined with enameling, Meenakari, so that a piece of jewelry has two equally beautiful surfaces, enamel at the back end and Kundan set gems in the front. Meenakari involves the fusion of colored minerals, such as cobalt oxide for blue, copper oxide for green. This, on the surface of the metal, gives the effect of precious stone inlay work. The particular mode employed is known as Champleve where the metal is engraved or chased in such a way as to provide depressions within which the colors can be embedded.
