Antique Indian and Mughal jewellery is some of the most sumptuous ever made: buttery high-carat gold, rubies polished rather than faceted, and settings designed to glow by lamplight. If you are wondering how to recognise a genuine piece, what words like kundan and polki mean, or whether an old Indian ring can be worn every day, this guide answers those questions from a dealer's bench.
In brief
- Mughal jewellery means the court styles of India from 1526 to 1857, and the regional workshops they inspired.
- Look for very high-carat gold, kundan setting, foil-backed stones, cabochons and enamel on the reverse.
- Most genuine pieces are unmarked, so they are judged by construction, wear and testing rather than hallmarks.
- Many antique Indian rings are perfectly wearable today, with a little care for their lac cores.
What is Mughal jewellery?
The Mughal emperors ruled much of the Indian subcontinent from 1526 until 1857. Their courts at Agra, Delhi and Lahore drew goldsmiths, gem-cutters and enamellers from Persia, Central Asia and every corner of India, and the result was a style that blended Persian floral ornament with far older Indian traditions of gold and gem-setting.
Strictly, “Mughal” describes work for the imperial court. In practice dealers and collectors use it more broadly for jewellery made in the same manner at regional courts, from Rajasthan to the Deccan, well into the 19th century. When you see “late Mughal”, it usually means a piece of the 18th or 19th century made in that courtly idiom.
Hyderabad, in the Deccan, deserves special mention. It lay close to the fabled Golconda diamond mines and became one of the great centres of Indian goldsmithing. Our Antique Indian Ruby Ring, made around 1850 and very likely in Hyderabad, shows the style beautifully: a wraparound bezel of foiled rock crystal around a cabochon ruby, with rubies continuing round the band.
The techniques to know
Kundan: setting with pure gold
Kundan is the classic Indian way of setting stones. Rather than claws or a hammered-over collet, the goldsmith packs thin strips of highly refined, almost pure gold around each stone. At that purity gold behaves like a cold-workable paste, so it can be pressed into place to grip the gem without heat.
The Indian Gold Arsi Mirror Ring is a lovely example. Twenty-one cabochon rubies and an emerald are kundan-set in gold that tests at around 23–24 carats, framing a small heart-shaped mirror. Arsi rings were worn by women at the royal courts, and tradition says brides wore them on the thumb to glimpse the groom from beneath the veil.
Polki, foil and lac
Polki refers to stones cut flat or left close to their natural form, often thin slices polished on top. Indian jewellers frequently placed reflective foil behind such stones to deepen their colour and sparkle, much as Georgian jewellers did in Europe. In some pieces, as in the Hyderabad ring, the pale “diamonds” are in fact foiled rock crystal, a traditional and admired practice rather than a deception.
Because very high-carat gold is so soft, many Indian jewels are built around a core of lac, a natural resin. The lac supports the thin gold walls and holds the stones firm. Finding lac inside a ring is a good sign of traditional workmanship, and it also tells you how to look after the piece, which we come to below.
Meenakari enamel
Meenakari is the Indian art of enamelling gold, with Jaipur its most famous centre. Brilliant reds, greens and whites were often laid on the back of a jewel, hidden against the skin, so the wearer alone knew the full beauty of the piece. A flash of enamel on the reverse is one of the most characteristic signs of fine Mughal-style work.
Stones cut the Indian way
European cutters prized brilliance and symmetry. Indian cutters prized the stone itself, polishing rubies, spinels and emeralds into smooth cabochons or shallow flat cuts that kept as much weight as possible. The domes are often gently irregular, following the crystal rather than a template. To modern eyes that softness is a large part of the charm.
Our Mughal Indian Ruby Ring shows this nicely: a one-carat ruby cabochon cut in the Indian way, its dome gently uneven and natural. Made around 1850, it also shows the meeting of two worlds, with a claw mount influenced by European rings and shoulders worked in floral cutwork typical of Indian craft.
Older roots: before the Mughals
Indian jewellery did not begin with the Mughals. The Harappans of the Indus Valley were making extraordinary beads more than four thousand years ago, decorating carnelian with white patterns by alkaline bleaching. The Ancient Indus Carnelian Bead Ring sets one of these etched beads, dating to the mid-3rd millennium BC, in a later high-carat gold mount. You can browse more early pieces in our ancient rings collection.
Navaratna and sacred rings
Many Indian jewels carry religious or astrological meaning. The navaratna, or nine gems, combines stones linked to the nine celestial bodies of Hindu astrology, with the ruby for the Sun at the centre. The pavithra ring, worn during ritual, is another sacred form. We explore both in detail in Pavithra and Navaratna Rings: The Sacred Gold Rings of India.
How to tell if antique Indian jewellery is genuine
Modern reproductions of Mughal styles are made in great numbers, often perfectly honestly as new jewellery, but they are sometimes resold as antique. Most genuine old pieces are unmarked, so hallmarks rarely help. Instead, a dealer looks at a combination of signs, none of which is conclusive alone.
- Gold purity. Antique Indian pieces usually test at 20–24 carats. Gilded silver, low-carat gold or plated base metal are warning signs.
- Hand work. Look for slight asymmetry, hand-chased or engraved detail and stones cut to fit individually, not machine-uniform settings.
- Honest wear. Softened edges and smoothing on the inside of a band where it has been worn for generations.
- Materials. Natural cabochons with inclusions, foil-backed stones and a lac core are all consistent with age; bright synthetic stones and glued settings are not.
Above all, buy from a dealer who describes each piece fully, gives its gold test, measurements and condition, and stands behind the attribution. Every piece in our antique Indian jewellery collection is listed that way, and we are always glad to send further photographs or a condition report.
Neighbouring courts: Siam and Southeast Asia
India's love of high-carat gold, cabochon gems and vivid enamel was shared by neighbouring courts. In Siam, royal jewellers made ceremonial rings such as our Siamese Mondop Ceremonial Ring, its tiered bezel modelled on a temple roof and its underside bright with red and green enamel. Read more in The Court Jewellery of Siam, or browse our Siam and Southeast Asian jewellery.
Wearing and caring for antique Indian jewelry
Antique Indian rings are often sturdier than they look and many are wonderful for daily wear. The two Mughal ruby rings above are described as fully wearable, and a cabochon ruby is far less prone to chipping than a faceted stone. High-carat gold is soft, however, so expect it to take on gentle marks, as it has for generations.
Keep lac-cored pieces away from heat, ultrasonic cleaners and long soaking. Wipe them with a soft dry cloth instead. If a ring needs resizing, use a jeweller experienced with Indian work, since a torch can damage the lac and the foil behind the stones. Our guide to sizing and resizing antique rings covers the basics.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between kundan and polki?
Kundan is a setting technique, using strips of very pure gold to hold stones. Polki describes the stones themselves, usually diamonds or crystal cut flat or left close to their natural shape. A polki stone is often kundan-set, which is why the words are so often used together.
Is antique Indian jewellery hallmarked?
Usually not. Most pieces made for Indian patrons before the 20th century are unmarked, so they are tested for gold content and judged by their construction, materials and wear rather than by marks.
Why does Indian antique gold look so yellow?
Because it is so pure. Indian goldsmiths traditionally worked at 20–24 carats, which gives the deep, buttery colour that lower-carat European gold cannot match.
Can I wear a Mughal ring every day?
Often, yes. Cabochon rubies are robust and many rings are built to last. Simply avoid heat and harsh cleaning for pieces with a lac core, and remove them for heavy work.
If a piece here has caught your eye, or you would like help finding something particular, please get in touch. We are always happy to talk about Indian jewellery, and you are welcome to see pieces in Shoreditch, by appointment.