KUNDAN JEWELLERY

KUNDAN keshri is a traditional form of Indian gemstone jewellery involving a gem set with gold foil between the stones and its mount, usually for elaborate necklaces. The method is 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 Jaipuri jewellery, is a popular variation, wherein enameling with vivid colours and designs is on the reverse, while the kundan setting is in the front. The city of Jaipur in Rajasthan has traditionally been the centre for Kundan jewellery in India.... It flourished under royal patronage during the Mughal era. Over the years, the Kundan jewellery of the courts was successfully copied in silver in Rajasthan, Bihar and the Punjab and became popular with the common man.....In 2006, "American Diamond" and Kundan jewellery contributed the largest share of both market value and volume (73 per cent) in the Indian jewellery market......The word Kundan means highly refined gold, and a highly refined and pure form of molten gold is used......                                                                                                    Royal jewellery of Jodhaa Akbar". The Hindu. 2008-06-20. Retrieved 2009-11-13.