A New Fashion Statement for Polki Diamond From Mogul India

Women could belong to different cultures and ethnicities but they all share their common love for diamonds. While some are attracted by the sparkling ones with lots of light reflecting from every surface and creating the bling effect, many prefer raw diamonds that preserve their uniqueness and stand out from the crowd with their subtle elegance and rustic look. 

Polki diamonds are definitely a part of the second category as it is nothing but diamonds in their rawest and uncut form. After being semi-polished, these diamonds are paired with beautiful colored gemstones to create an overall intricate and ethereal look. Its unclear color and old-world charm make its wearer look nothing less than royalty which is what many brides especially of Indian origin desire to be.  

The reason behind the extremely antique look of polki diamonds is the absence of any influence of chemical treatments on this form of the diamond. Since it is the purest form, its prices always reach the sky while also being passed on through generations as precious heirlooms and priced possessions.

Even though the regal form of jewelry is as raw as possible, it still undergoes some amount of cutting and semi polishing, after which it is skillfully embedded in bands and metal chains along with other precious gems. 

History of Polki Diamonds 

Introduced into India by the Mughals, Polki diamonds and the intricate jewelry designs associated with them found a home in the country hundreds of years ago. Once the Mughals brought them along, the royals of Rajasthan and Gujrat also accepted the polki diamonds as a part of their culture which Bikaner specializing in the production of Polki diamonds and diversifying its fame and use as it spread to other regions of the country. 

Considered as one of the oldest forms of cut diamonds, India began using and cutting the diamonds through their techniques long before the Westernized methods were adopted by the Indian diamond jewelers. These diamonds mostly retain their rough form along with an unfaceted and polished surface. Originally these diamonds were used in traditional forms by the people of India, typically in bridal jewelry designs, however, recent times have witnessed a spread in the reach of these diamonds into the Western cultures too as the Western designers have begun incorporating these Polki diamonds into their pieces. 

London-based designers explain how the diamonds impart the most distinct nature of uniqueness wherein no two of these diamonds look alike since they are cut to follow the initial roughness of the stones. Hence, for customers who are enthusiastic about possessing something unique, Polki diamonds are the best purchase. Another reason the designers present with is the fact that these diamonds flatter their wearer and do not take the spotlight but rather accentuate the neck and hands they adorn since the light these diamonds reflect is a lot softer than the one given off by the modern cuts. These designers also prefer to combine the polki diamonds with lapses or sapphire while also using floral or geometric motifs as a blending component with the polki diamonds 

With historical accounts observing the presence of diamonds in India back to 3,000 years, the nation has proved to be the source of the gems. People of the country also proved to be the first to award value and consequently decorate themselves with diamonds with many of the world’s famous pieces like the Hope Diamond, Koh-i-Noor, Sancy, and Regent.

Jewelers of Britain further account for one of the earliest practices of gem cutting which took place in India which was originally documented by Persian scholar al Biruni who had visited the land of gems in around 1020 CR. In his written documentaries, the scholar mentions how diamond cutters of India used emery, manganite, and spinel or hematite for cutting, filing, and polishing precious stones.

Since the faceting of the diamonds could not be with emery, the cutters made use of the substance for polishing the rough stones. Other jewelers and research announced their imprecision in accounting for whether ancient and medieval India cutters had the knowledge about the use of diamond powder for cutting, yet explained how even as later as 700 years, various cutters in the country still used emery with oil so it can be safely assumed that cutting techniques hadn’t seen much shift. 

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The first European expedition to India was in 1940 which resulted in the establishment of regular contact with the country and was lead by the Portuguese explorer, Vasco da Gama who is often given credit for this. The flourishing gem trade inclusive of diamonds, however, was discovered by John Tavernier who came to India 200 years later on his voyage. India diamond cutter had by this time gained the knowledge of cleaving diamonds and apply quite shallow facets by using emery and diamond power on the polishing wheels. Termed as a lozenge or uneven oval and pear shapes with small, angled facets by Tavernier, these Mogul cuts took the shape of almost rectangles with slanting edges, hence the name. 

Now the variation of polki cuts was created from these designs itself wherein an adjustment was made and a faceted crown on top of the flat base was established. 

A developing trade between the West and India ensued in the succeeding centuries and the royalties who practiced monarchy in the nation also took up the role of patrons to the major European expert jewelers. Europe which practiced specialty in modern brilliant cuts sold an enormous amount of diamonds to these rulers. 

The beginning of the 19th century witnessed how Indian diamond cutters began using European cutting techniques although they retained their royalty towards their original methods of diamond cutting and ensuring that the stones closely resembled their natural forms because of how deep the traditional cutting techniques were embedded in the style of India jewels. 

In recent times, Polki diamonds is one such variety of diamonds that has become a well-known name in many households.

Polki vs Kundan  

The confusion between Kundan and Polki resides in the minds of many due to the similarities in both forms of diamonds showcase. Yet if observed closely, the major differences are not something that can be missed by even the naked eye. 

Kundan is a form of diamond that is made by the process of fusing glass and metals like gold but polki is a naturally occurring type of diamond that does not undergo any lab-oriented treatments. The Polki jewelry display a glossy kind of shine and luster on their surfaces whereas the shine that Kundan jewelry exhibits is not as attractive as the one presented by polki. Another point of difference is the origin of both the diamonds. While polki was a discovery of the Mughals and was later brought into India, Kundan’s origin is rooted in India. Although both these diamonds carry an ancient touch, polki is sold at much higher prices than Kundan. 

Trending types of Polki diamonds 

The three main types of Polki jewelry are the kill was polki, syndicate polki, and Zimbabwe polki. Furthermore, the viral trends of polki that have gained recent popularity include: 

Hyderabadi Polki

 A silver variant of the regal jade jewelry pieces, the Hyderabadi Polki set is, can be purchased at a lot more affordable prices, unlike the gold jewelry.

Open Polki

Diamonds or other valuable stones are used in an Open Polki set without an enamel back coating. The diamonds are held by the gold frame in a manner that allows light to pass through, giving the set a unique vintage touch and charm.

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Conclusion Thoughts

The precious and unique Polki diamonds are embedded with other metals to form a wide variety of jewelry items like Polki earrings, maang Tikka, polki sets, Polki Kada, Polki bracelets, Polki rings, Polki Nath, etc. 

Brides in search of something unique and royal yet trendy and well known can always opt for Polki diamonds to decorate their various items of jewelry.