Kundan  

The Jaipur Lapidary displays superior skill in carving from hard stones such as jade, rock crystal, agate, garnet, emerald, topaz, amethyst, and spinel. The Jadiyas (stone setters) create faboulous pieces of Jewellery using Kundankari technique. In this Indian technique, the gemstones are set within solid walls of gold. Kundan jewellery features precious gems on one side, and meenakari work on the reverse, requiring the expertise of a Kundanansaz who applies the gems.

TIPS FOR BUYING KUNDAN JEWELLERY:
Old, solid gold ornaments are sometimes filled with shellac.It is important to determine this in order to not be overcharged. To identify imperfections in a diamond, look for tiny,rents or fissures and specks. If the diamond has any of these, it is flawed. Note also that a real diamond can never have scratches on its surface,if it does, it is not a diamond.The value of an emerald depends not so much on its freedom from flaws as the thickness of the stone, its depth and brilliance of colour. The value of a sapphire is not dependent on size but colour, purity and symmetry. A good sapphire will appear blue both by day and by night.The value of pearls depends on their size, texture, form, water and lustre. Coloured pearls are lighter in weight and more brittle than real pearl.

Genuine kundan-set crystal has a mellow, opaque appearance. Artficial kundan is transparent and it glitters. This is due to the fact that glass has been used instead of crystal and coloured tinfoil under the stones to create the illusion of colour. The finest minakari is done on pure gold which lends itself well to intricate designing. On carat gold the colours will never be as brilliant and the outlines of the design will be blurred. In estimating the amount of gold used in a minakari piece, the shellac inside must be examined. If it is reddish-brown, the gold content will be higher. If it is blackish, it will be less. If going by the age of the piece and not the shellac, the general rule is that the gold in an old piece would be 5/8ths of the total weight of the piece. In trying to differentiate between an old and a new minakari piece, remember that the older the piece, the more intricate the design and more brilliant the colour. 17th century pieces are the finest. 18th century pieces are excellent too, with the difference apparent only to a connoisseur. In the newer pieces the difference is marked. New cord in an old piece should not make the buyer suspicious. It could have been replaced to hold the ornament together.