The "Polki cut"

[boerumbiddy]

The Polki cut described here seems to be an excuse to use heavily flawed diamonds as fashion statements. It's one thing to have historic jewelry from the olden days, but who wants a dull stone now? What do you think?

Polki Diamonds: The Oldest Diamond Cut Sees a Resurgence

The polki diamond is having a major moment. Here's what you should know about the oldest diamond cut and tips for how to wear it.

www.naturaldiamonds.com

 

[Bron357]

I have a couple of pieces of Polki studded jewellery.
Its a particular look as they are usually also foil backed. The antique pieces are exquisite, more modern replicas aren’t nearly as beautiful. Mine are modern.
They don’t sparkle the same way properly facetted diamonds do but have a charm I love.

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

Polki jewelry is beautiful. It’s used a lot in traditional Indian jewelry, and good quality polki shimmers and glows in a mesmerising way. It does not need to be heavily included, by the way. I mean, I’ve seen some terrible excuses for polki where the stones are so cloudy and included that they look like glass, but if you are patient and discerning you can get your jeweler to use the slightly more expensive, good quality stones that feel and look like you’re wearing a string of moonlit lakes.

Traditional craftsmanship was something else, though even modern pieces - depending on your karigar (bench jeweler) can be made exquisitely, in the old style, which involves setting the stone in a collet of 22kt gold, foiled by 24k gold (it is called jadau jewelry). You can also get polki that is set without foiling, and usually in those pieces the quality of the polki will need to be even higher because it needs to have that luminosity (and opacity that rose cuts don’t have) while being set without any cup or foil or enhancement. The resulting effect is extraordinary imo. It needs to be seen in person to be appreciated.

Polki is of course cheaper than cut diamonds, so that’s one reason people use them, but in India they are worn primarily as fine jewelry, not fashion. I also pretty much never see it used for engagement rings, and not in the way Pippa Small has designed them, but rather, in traditional/fusion applications. As cocktail rings (like the ones by Amrapali) and cuffs yes. As a single stone in a plain gold band? Not very popular imo.


edit: if you’re ever in Jaipur, definitely visit Gem Palace (the place mentioned in the article). Their work is sheer art.

 

[petrock<3]

Interesting!