Last updated: July 2026.
Kundan is one of the oldest jewellery traditions in India: the art of setting stones in refined gold. The word itself means pure gold. Traditionally it is bridal and festive, but worn well, kundan earrings work far beyond the wedding: pair them with a kurta or co-ord set, keep everything else simple, and let the earrings be the whole story. Lightweight, handcrafted versions make the look easy enough for every day.
Few words in Indian jewellery carry as much weight as kundan. It appears on wedding invitations, in family lockers, in the pieces a mother passes to a daughter. Yet most of us wear it without quite knowing what it is. Here is the craft behind the name — and how to wear kundan earrings today, not just on the big day.
What “kundan” actually means
Kundan comes from a Sanskrit word for pure, refined gold. It describes not a stone but a setting technique — one that flourished in the royal courts of Rajasthan and reached its height under Mughal patronage, when court goldsmiths married stone-setting with fine enamel work. To call something kundan is to describe how it is built, not what it is decorated with.
How kundan is made
Traditional kundan is slow, entirely hand work. A craftsman, a kundansaz begins with a hollow gold framework filled with lac, a natural resin, to hold its shape. Polished gemstones or fine coloured glass are set into the surface, and then comes the signature step: thin ribbons of pure gold foil, called daank, are pressed around each stone by hand until it sits flush and secure, with no visible prongs. That sliver of gold beneath and around the stone is what gives kundan its warm, mirror-bright glow. On the reverse, many pieces hide a second craft entirely meenakari, or enamel painting, so the jewellery is beautiful even from behind.
Kundan or polki — what is the difference?
They look related and are often confused. The simplest way to tell them apart: polki uses uncut, natural diamonds, while kundan uses polished, faceted stones or high-quality glass set with that signature gold foil. Polki is rarer and usually costlier; kundan gives you the same regal look with more colour and far more versatility.
How House of Falguni reimagines kundan
Heirloom kundan is heavy, precious and made for weddings. We wanted the richness of kundan without the weight jewellery you can actually reach for on an ordinary day. Our Floral Kundan Earrings and Kundan Fabric Earrings are handcrafted in Ahmedabad, pairing kundan-style stones with fabric and lightweight settings so they stay comfortable for hours. Our Chandbali Earrings carry the same spirit into a classic crescent shape, finished with a row of ghungroo bells. It is kundan reimagined as everyday luxury, not locked away for one occasion a year.
How to wear kundan earrings
For festive and ethnic wear
Kundan was made for celebration. Against a kurta, a co-ord set or a saree in a solid jewel tone, a pair of kundan earrings does all the work so keep the rest quiet. A bare neck or a single fine chain, a soft updo, and you are done. If you want the full styling logic, our guide on what earrings to wear with a co-ord set walks through neckline and colour.
For every day
This is the part people miss. A small, lightweight kundan pair lifts the plainest kurti — or even a simple shirt and jeans because the warm gold and colour bring a little occasion to an ordinary day. Choose a lighter fabric-set style for the office and save the larger pieces for evenings.
The colours kundan loves
That warm gold base flatters deep, saturated colours best, emerald, ruby, royal blue, wine, mustard. Against pastels it turns soft and romantic; against black it looks sharp and modern. There is very little kundan does not suit.
Caring for kundan
Kundan settings prefer to be kept dry. Put your earrings on last, after perfume and hair spray; wipe them gently with a soft, dry cloth after wear; and store them in a pouch away from moisture. Handled kindly, a good pair stays bright for years.
Kundan's Mughal-era peak, dated
Kundan work reached its most refined expression in the workshops patronised by the Mughal court between roughly the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries, when royal goldsmiths had both the resources and the royal demand to push the technique toward its most elaborate form. Before that period, simpler stone-setting traditions existed across the subcontinent, but it was this particular era of concentrated patronage that fused kundan's gold-foil setting with meenakari enamel work into the combined craft still recognised today.
Jaipur as kundan's historic centre
Jaipur became, and largely remains, the centre most closely associated with kundan craftsmanship, its position cemented when Rajput rulers brought skilled goldsmiths into the city's workshops over successive generations. The city's jewellery quarters still house families of kundansaz artisans practising techniques passed down directly rather than taught through any formal curriculum, which is a large part of why authentic kundan work carries a quality that is genuinely difficult to replicate outside these specific lineages.
How to spot genuine kundan work versus imitation
Authentic kundan shows a distinctive warm, slightly uneven glow at the edge of each stone, the visible trace of hand-pressed gold foil, rather than the flat, uniform shine of a machine-set imitation. Turn a piece over: genuine kundan work is often finished on the reverse with meenakari enamel rather than left as bare, unfinished metal, since traditional kundansaz consider the back of a piece as deserving of craft as the front. A piece that looks identical from every angle, with no variation between stones, is worth a second, more sceptical look.
Kundan across a bride's jewellery, then and now
Traditional bridal kundan sets were built as a complete suite, necklace, earrings, maang tikka and bangles, designed to be worn together as a single, coordinated statement for the wedding day itself and rarely separated afterward. Contemporary wear has moved away from that all-or-nothing approach, and pieces like a single pair of kundan earrings are now bought and worn on their own far more often than as part of an inherited full set, which is part of what has made the craft accessible well beyond wedding season.
Passing kundan down: a piece built for generations
Well-made kundan, cared for properly, is genuinely built to outlast a single owner, which is why so much of it moves through families as inheritance rather than simply as purchase. A grandmother's kundan earrings, kept dry and stored away from moisture, can realistically reach a granddaughter in wearable condition decades later. That longevity is part of what the craft was always built for, and it is worth keeping in mind even when choosing a lighter, everyday version: the same principles of gentle care apply regardless of how formal or casual the piece is.
Why the craft's name is worth protecting
As kundan-style jewellery has become more widely available, the word itself has started appearing on pieces that borrow the look without any of the actual technique behind it, foil-free settings marketed under a name that once described something specific. We think the distinction is worth preserving, not out of purism, but because a craft this precise deserves an honest name attached to it, whether the piece in question costs a few hundred rupees or carries real gold foil beneath every stone.
A final word on wearing history lightly
None of this history is meant to make kundan feel intimidating or reserved for occasions grand enough to deserve it. The craft survived centuries precisely because it moved with the people who wore it, from royal courts into ordinary households, and we would rather see a pair worn often on an unremarkable Tuesday than kept in a box waiting for an occasion important enough to justify it, which is exactly the philosophy behind every piece we make.
Frequently asked questions
What is kundan jewellery?
Kundan is a traditional Indian technique of setting polished stones or glass into refined gold foil, without prongs. The word means pure gold and refers to the setting, not the stone.
Is kundan made of real gold?
Traditional bridal kundan uses pure gold foil to set the stones. Contemporary, everyday kundan-style jewellery like ours recreates the look in lighter materials so it can be worn often and comfortably.
What is the difference between kundan and polki?
Polki uses uncut natural diamonds; kundan uses polished stones or fine glass set with gold foil. Polki is rarer and pricier, while kundan is more colourful and versatile.
Can I wear kundan earrings every day?
Yes, choose a small, lightweight pair. Larger, ornate kundan is best saved for festive days, while a fabric-set style is comfortable from desk to dinner.
Every pair of House of Falguni earrings is handcrafted in Ahmedabad, made to bring a little of kundan's old-world richness into an everyday wardrobe. Explore the full earrings collection to find yours.
More on how this craft is made in The Craft.
