How to Care for Kundan Jewellery at Home

TL;DR

Kundan jewellery is one of India's most fragile and most precious jewellery traditions. The uncut stones or glass set in gold foil (the defining kundan technique) are held in place by a base of lac, a natural resinous compound that is moulded, pressed, and set by hand. This lac is the reason kundan looks the way it does — and the reason it requires care unlike any other jewellery type. Water, heat, and chemicals all affect lac in ways that can dislodge the stones or distort the setting permanently.

What Makes Kundan Jewellery Different

Standard jewellery (metal settings with prong or bezel stone settings) is held together by the mechanical grip of the metal. Kundan is held together by lac. The lac fills the interior of the metal frame, the gold foil lines the cavity, and the stones are pressed into the soft lac and sealed. When the lac hardens, the stones are held. When the lac softens (from heat or water), the stones can move.

This is why kundan care is different from gold or brass jewellery care. The metal frame can handle gentle moisture. The lac and foil inside cannot.

How to Clean Kundan Jewellery at Home

What to use: a very soft cloth (jeweller's cloth or baby-soft microfibre), barely dampened with plain water.

What not to use: ultrasonic cleaners, steam, chemical jewellery dips, toothpaste, baking soda, running water, or soaking of any kind.

1. Wipe the surface of the metal frame gently with the barely damp cloth.
2. Avoid the stone settings: do not let moisture reach the lac base around the stones.
3. Dry immediately with a dry cloth.
4. Leave the piece flat to air-dry for 30 minutes before storing.

For surface dust between wears, a very soft dry brush (a make-up brush works well) is safer than a damp cloth: brush the surface gently to remove dust without introducing any moisture.

How to Store Kundan Jewellery

• Individual cloth pouches: store each kundan piece in its own soft pouch. Kundan stones can scratch softer metals; other jewellery can crack kundan stones. Separation is essential.
• Away from humidity: moisture in the air over time softens lac slowly. In India's humid climate, store kundan in a box with silica gel packets to control ambient moisture.
• Flat, not hanging: heavy kundan necklaces stored hanging put stress on the lac at the top of each stone setting. Store flat in a padded box.
• Away from direct sunlight: prolonged UV exposure can yellow the gold foil and affect the clarity of glass stones used in contemporary kundan.

What to Avoid When Wearing Kundan

• Water: remove kundan before bathing, swimming, or washing hands. Even brief submersion can start to soften the lac at the stone-metal junction.
• Perfume and hairspray: apply these before putting on kundan. Alcohol-based products affect the lac surface and can stain the gold foil over time.
• Heat: avoid wearing kundan in very high-heat environments (saunas, outdoor summer events with direct sun on the piece for extended periods). Heat softens lac.
• Physical impact: kundan stones, particularly glass stones used in contemporary pieces, crack on impact. Do not allow kundan pieces to knock against hard surfaces.

Re-Setting Loose Kundan Stones

If a kundan stone becomes loose (you can feel it shift when you press it gently), take the piece to a kundan jeweller for re-setting. The jeweller will soften the lac, reposition the stone, and press it back in. This is inexpensive for small repairs. Do not attempt to re-set kundan stones yourself using adhesive: standard glues do not interact correctly with lac and will create a weaker, messier repair than a professional re-setting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can kundan jewellery be washed?

No. Kundan jewellery should never be submerged in or washed with water. The lac base that holds the stone settings softens in water, which can cause stones to shift or fall out. Clean only with a very soft, barely damp cloth, wiped gently over the metal surfaces only, and dried immediately.

How do I know if my kundan jewellery is real?

Genuine kundan jewellery uses a gold or gold-foil setting with real lac as the adhesive base. The stones are pressed into the lac by hand, so slight variations in stone positioning are normal. Mass-produced kundan imitations use glue rather than lac and often use thin gold-plated settings with no foil. Signs of genuine kundan: the stones have slight variation in position and height, the reverse of the piece shows meenakari (enamel) work in many traditional pieces, and the piece feels substantial despite being hollow.

How long does kundan jewellery last?

Genuine kundan jewellery, when stored and cared for correctly, lasts generations. Heirloom kundan pieces from the Mughal period still exist in private and museum collections. The lac is durable when kept dry and away from heat. The gold foil does not tarnish. The main vulnerability is moisture reaching the lac, physical impact cracking stones, and poor storage causing pieces to scratch each other.

Can I wear kundan every day?

Kundan is not designed for daily wear in the way that a simple brass or silver piece is. It is occasion jewellery: worn for festive events, weddings, and formal occasions, then carefully cleaned and stored. Daily exposure to sweat, skin oils, and the friction of normal activity degrades the lac, dulls the foil, and risks loosening stones. Weekly or occasion wear, with proper cleaning and storage, is the sustainable pattern for kundan jewellery.

Conclusion

Kundan jewellery rewards the care it receives. A piece stored correctly, cleaned gently, and worn with awareness of its specific vulnerabilities can look the same at thirty years as it did on day one. A piece stored carelessly — left damp, stored touching other jewellery, or cleaned with chemicals — can degrade within a season. The care is simple once you know what lac is and what it needs. Explore KANSYA's collection of handcrafted kundan and traditional jewellery, made to last.