Open Polki Jewelry vs Kundan Polki Jewellery

Traditional kundan (24kt) jewelry with polki has been the first choice for heavy bridal necklace sets in most parts of India since millennia. It uses no lac below to set polki and other stones on top of it. Today with so much advancement in technology in jewelry making and strict hallmarking regulations, people are opting for casted jewelry because it doesn't involve handmade work from the scratch and can be done with the help of CAD (computer-aided design). The process of open polki jewelry and modern diamond jewelry is the same, except we use polki as well due to its heirloom value and purity. 

But lets understand the handmade work procedure of traditional kundan polki jewelry making which is divided into 4 steps.

1. Gadhayi - It starts with the making of the foundational structure of the piece, also known as ghat or gadhayi, in 22kt gold. 

2. Khudayi - It is engraving the outer surface according to the pattern and design. Th framework filled with lac (a type of wax) is then engraved in this process known as khudayi.

3. Meenakari - The engraved patterns on the gold surface are then filled with various natural colours.

4. Jadhayi - The final part that involves the setting of polki is known as jadhayi. It is the process of polki and gem setting by inserting kundan (24kt gold foil) between the stones and their mount. They are placed on the surface of the lac and supported by the kundan so that the gemstones can grip on tightly just like prongs are used in modern diamond setting jewelry.