About Kundan Jewelry
Kundan jewelry is a style of jewelry made with techniques native to India. The word kundan means "refined gold." Kundan jewelry is made from gold and silver, although by U.S. jewelry standards, not considered to be made entirely from pure gold. The jewelry-making process itself is as individual as the kundan jewelry styles. Does this Spark an idea?
-
History
-
The history of kundan jewelry making in India dates back several thousand years to the Mughal Empire and Dynasty period in India, between 1526 and 1858. During this period, architecture and the creative arts were heavily influenced and flourished. According to http://www.culturalindia.net/jewellery/types/kundan-jewelry.html, the kundan technique came from northern India and spread throughout the country. This was before stone settings and stone cutting were popular, so the technique of kundan was developed to encase stones into hand-crafted jewelry by using natural methods.
Materials
-
The typical materials used in making kundan style jewelry are gold and silver metals; natural semi-precious and precious stones, such as rubies, sapphires, diamonds, and emeralds from India; and lac. Lac is the secretion from an insect native to India. It works as a lacquer-like glue compound that holds the jewels in place when they are being set into kundan jewelry. Manufacturers developed the kundan style prior to when the modern stone basket, claw and cup settings became readily available.
-
Technique
-
The kundan technique involves first placing the desired gem stone into lac. Then, over the lac and around the gemstone, layers of 24-karat gold or silver sheet are pressed together to hold the gem in place and to fill the area around the stone with the metal. Traditional kundan jewelry has visible stones set into a piece on one side and the obverse side of the piece is decorated with an enameling process called "meenakari." After this, more kundan is layered on to finish the piece to strengthen joints and add to the beauty of the jewelry.
Craftsmanship
-
In each piece of kundan jewelry-making, an individual craftsperson does a separate specialized portion of one particular technique, so that one piece of jewelry is made by a group of artisans working as a team.
Styles
-
Traditional kundan jewelry is made and sold in matching sets with elaborate necklaces, earrings, and bracelets in each set. Beautiful pieces of hand-crafted traditional kundan Indian jewelry can be purchased separately as well, though. Rings and hair ornaments are also popular. Styles usually include precious or semi-precious rubies, diamonds, emeralds, and sapphires in them, but less expensive kundan jewelry styles are also available (see Resources).
-
References
Resources
Comments
-
it is hot , wild, rare, pressies, that's called gold.............. as me
