Kundan, polki and jadau are not three competing styles. They describe different things. Kundan is a method of setting stones in gold foil, polki is an uncut diamond, and jadau is the wider tradition of setting stones into gold, often using kundan.
In imitation jewellery the words become style labels. The buyer needs to know which one a design really follows before writing a listing or a purchase order.
What is each term in the original craft?
Kundan work sets a stone in a bed of highly pure gold foil, pressed around the stone to hold it. See how kundan jewellery is made.
Polki refers to the stone: a natural, uncut or lightly cut diamond, flat and irregular, which gives the characteristic glassy, unfaceted look. Read what polki jewellery and imitation polki are.
Jadau is the craft of embedding stones into a gold piece, traditionally using kundan, with enamel often worked on the reverse. Our explainer on jadau jewellery covers the process.
How do the imitation versions differ?
Imitation kundan uses glass or acrylic stones set with lac or glue into a gold-plated brass frame. Imitation polki uses flat-cut glass or cubic zirconia shaped to copy the uncut diamond look. Imitation jadau is usually a kundan-style piece with a coloured, enamelled or meenakari back to suggest the original.
The visual signal you can use in a buying brief is the stone: foil-backed and flat suggests kundan or polki styling, while faceted and sparkling points to American diamond or CZ instead.
How should you describe them to customers?
Use the terms as style names, and say what the materials are. A few rules help:
- Say kundan-style or polki-style unless the piece really contains kundan gold foil or uncut diamonds.
- State the base metal and plating in the product description.
- Do not use polki on its own for a glass or CZ stone, because buyers may read it as a diamond claim.
- Match the term to the customer: bridal buyers often know the difference and will check.
What changes on the factory floor?
Kundan-style pieces are set by hand, so output is slower and quality depends on the setter. Check that stones sit evenly and are secure; our guide to checking stones are set securely lists what to look for.
Which one matches which price and customer?
Kundan-style sets are the usual starting point for bridal and festive ranges, because the look is rich and the pieces are made in volume. Polki-style pieces suit buyers who want a softer, more traditional glow. Jadau-style sets tend to be the most elaborate, with enamel or meenakari on the back.
Cost rises with the amount of hand setting, the number of stones and the finish on the reverse. Ask each maker to explain what they are doing by hand, so that you compare like with like. Read real kundan vs imitation kundan if your customers ask about authenticity.
A real quote for your design comes from a sourcing review, because it depends on stone count and finish.
Next step
If you are building a bridal or festive range, we can brief makers on the exact style and check samples against it. Book a free sourcing review and share the pieces you have in mind.