Kundan Earrings, Handcrafted in Fabric

Kundan is one of the oldest jewellery techniques in India: a stone held by a thin band of foil worked around its edge, rather than by claws or adhesive. It is the work that turns up in the pieces families keep and hand down, which is why it still reads as heirloom even in a small pair of earrings.

Continue reading Close

We set kundan into fabric rather than metal. That keeps the weight off the ear, and keeps the piece in the range where you wear it on a Tuesday instead of storing it for a wedding. The Kundan Fabric Earrings are the plainest reading of it, the Floral Kundan arranges the stones into a flowerhead, and the Chandbali sets a crescent above a row of ghungroo.

All three are made in small runs in Ahmedabad, and all three are lighter than they look, which is the whole argument for doing it this way.

The Oldest Setting

Kundan predates the claw setting by centuries. The technique was refined at the Mughal court, and the principle has not changed since: pure gold is soft enough at room temperature to be worked with hand pressure alone, so a craftsman presses band after band of foil into the gap around a stone until it is locked in place. No heat, no solder, no adhesive. It survived because it works, and it still looks like nothing else because a foil-set stone sits in a bed of reflective metal rather than being gripped from above by claws. We went further into the craft and how to wear it in kundan earrings: the craft, the meaning and how to wear them.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is kundan?

A traditional Indian setting technique where a stone is held in place by foil pressed around it by hand. No claws, no glue. It predates most modern setting methods, was refined under the Mughals, and is still done by hand because there is no machine equivalent for it.

Is this fine jewellery?

No, and it is not priced as such. These are kundan-style settings worked into fabric by hand. Exact materials for each pair are listed under Product Details. If you want to know how to judge handmade jewellery generally, we wrote a buyer's guide to craft, quality and price.

Why set kundan into fabric instead of metal?

Weight, mostly. A metal body large enough to carry these settings would pull on the ear across a long evening, which is why traditional kundan pieces tend to be worn for a few hours and then taken off. Fabric gives the same visual weight at a fraction of the actual weight, so the piece moves from occasion wear into ordinary wear.

Which pair works for everyday wear?

The Kundan Fabric Earrings. They are the quietest of the three and sit comfortably with a cotton kurta or a plain shirt. Pair them with something from the kurtis and the outfit is done.

Which for a wedding or a festive occasion?

The Chandbali first, then the Floral Kundan. Both use traditional festive shapes and hold their own against heavier ethnic wear, where a smaller pair would simply disappear. For sarees specifically, see what jewellery to wear with a navy sari to a daytime wedding.

What if I have short hair or a high neckline?

Then the earrings are doing all the work and scale matters more than usual. We covered the pairings that flatter in the best earrings for short hair and a high neckline.

Will the stones come out?

Kundan is a pressure setting, so what loosens it is impact rather than ordinary wear. Each pair is checked before dispatch. Store them flat rather than loose in a bag, where they can knock against harder pieces.

Does kundan tarnish?

The settings are gold-tone rather than solid gold, so the finish can dull over time with skin contact and perfume. Wiping after wear slows that considerably, and there is more in our guide to preventing tarnish.