Kundan keshri is a traditional South Asia

South Asia

South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...

n gemstone

Gemstone

A gemstone or gem is a piece of mineral, which, in cut and polished form, is used to make jewelry or other adornments...

 jewellery

Jewellery

Jewellery or jewelry is a form of personal adornment, such as brooches, rings, necklaces, earrings, and bracelets.With some exceptions, such as medical alert bracelets or military dog tags, jewellery normally differs from other items of personal adornment in that it has no other purpose than to...

, a method of gem setting in a jewellery piece, consisting of inserting gold foil between the stones and its mount, usually used to create elaborate necklaces believed to have originated in the royal courts of Rajasthan and Gujarat. It is the oldest form of jewellery made and worn in India.

Meena Kundan, also known as Bikaneri or Jaipur

Jaipur

Jaipur , also popularly known as the Pink City, is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan. Founded on 18 November 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the ruler of Amber, the city today has a population of more than 3.1 million....

i jewellery, is popular variation in Kundan, where in enameling with vivid colours and design is on the reverse, while the kundan setting in the front. The city of Jaipur

Jaipur

Jaipur , also popularly known as the Pink City, is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan. Founded on 18 November 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the ruler of Amber, the city today has a population of more than 3.1 million....

 in Rajasthan has traditionally been the centre for kundan jewellery in India .

History

It flourished in greatly in the Mughal era

Mughal era

The Mughal era is a historic period of the Mughal Empire in South Asia . It ran from the early 15th century to a point in the early 18th century when the Mughal Emperors' power had dwindled...

 as it received royal patronage with the most intricate form of Indian Gem Stone, and is the oldest form of jewellery made and worn in India, still in use . Over the years the kundan jewellery of the courts was successfully copied in
silver in Rajasthan, Bihar and the Punjab states and became popular with common man as well .

Even today, it remains an integral part of traditional wedding trousseau for a bride, especially as traditional settings such as kundan, thappa and ras rawa are experiencing a revival . Most recently, in the 2008 epic film, Jodhaa Akbar, the lead character portrayed by Aishwariya Rai was shown extensively wearing Kundan jewellery made by Tata Group

Tata Group

Tata Group is an Indian multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. Tata Group is one of the largest companies in India by market capitalization and revenue. It has interests in communications and information technology, engineering, materials, services, energy,...

's Tanishq

Tanishq

Tanishq is a prominent jewellery brand of India. It pioneered the concept of branded jewellery and ornaments in India. It is a division of Titan Industries Limited, a company promoted by the Tata Group, one of India's largest conglomerates...

 brand, highlighting its lasting influence in royal Rajasthan

Rajasthan

Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...

i jewellery .

In 2006, “American diamond” and kundan jewellery contribute the largest share of both value and volume market (73 per cent) in Indian jewellery market

The word Kundan means highly refined gold, the kundan jewellery uses excessively refined purest form of molten gold to set stones etc.

Process

Kundan Jewellery is created by setting carefully shaped, cut and polished multicoloured gemstones into exquisitely designed pure gold or faux metal base.. The elaborate process, begins with first skeletal framework called Ghaat, thereafter the Paadh procedure takes place, during which lac or the wax is poured onto the framework and moulded according to the design. In the following Khudai process, fitting of stones or the uncut gems is done into the framework, followed by Meenakari, which involves enameling to define the design details. In th next, Pakai process, gold foils that hold the gems onto the framework are soldered and finally the gems are polished using Chillai process .