# Kundan and polki jewellery photography that keeps every stone

> To photograph kundan and polki jewellery, use soft window light from the side, a matte off-white cloth, no flash, and slightly lowered exposure so the foil and gold do not blow out. Shoot each component separately. GehnaLab then sets the photo in Bridal or Heritage Ivory scenes without redrawing a single stone.

Last updated: 2026-10-23 · Canonical: https://gehnalab.com/kundan-polki-jewellery-photography

## Key facts

- Light: daylight from a window, about a metre away, no direct sun.
- Surface: matte off-white cloth or paper, not a velvet tray.
- Camera: no flash, no HDR or beauty mode, exposure slightly down.
- Sets: photograph necklace, earrings and maang tikka separately.
- Best Looks: Heritage Ivory, Bridal, Festive and Marketplace White.

Kundan and polki are the hardest Indian jewellery to photograph well and the easiest for AI to ruin. This guide covers how to shoot them on a phone, what goes wrong, and how GehnaLab sets them in bridal and heritage scenes without redrawing a single stone.

![Kundan and polki choker with seed pearl borders, uncut stones in gold foil and a carved emerald drop, on a pure white background](https://gehnalab.com/media/generated/kundan-choker/marketplace-white.jpg)
*Marketplace White Look of a kundan choker from the British Museum collection. (GehnaLab output, Piece unchanged)*

## Why kundan and polki are hard to photograph

Polki diamonds are uncut, with flat irregular faces, and are backed with gold or silver foil to bring up their glow. Kundan is the setting technique: highly refined gold leaf pressed around each stone. Together they give a soft, warm light from inside the piece rather than the hard sparkle of a brilliant-cut diamond. On camera, that light is fragile.

- Direct flash flattens the foil and makes polki look like glass.
- Tube light and LED panels turn the gold leaf green or grey.
- Phone cameras' automatic sharpening adds white edges around uncut stones.
- Meenakari on the reverse picks up colour casts from the surface underneath.

The jeweller knows exactly how many stones are in a set, the shape of each one and the colour of the meena. So does the bride who chose it. That is why a photograph that is 95% right is not good enough.

## How to shoot kundan and polki on a phone

1. Use daylight from a window, with the piece about a metre away and the sun not falling directly on it. Soft side light brings up the foil.
2. Lay the piece flat on matte off-white cloth or paper. Avoid velvet trays for the photo you will upload: the pile throws shadows into the setting.
3. Turn off flash and any beauty or HDR mode. Tap on the piece to focus and drag exposure down slightly so the gold does not blow out.
4. Fill most of the frame. Shoot the front, then a second photo of the meenakari reverse if the piece has one.
5. For a set, photograph each component separately: necklace, earrings, maang tikka. Separate photos give cleaner cut-outs.

The photo you upload is the photo your customer will see, because GehnaLab never repaints the piece. Five minutes at the window is the biggest quality gain you can make.

## Why generic AI tools redraw polki

Image generators are trained mostly on cut diamonds, coloured stones and Western fine jewellery. When they regenerate a polki choker, they tend to make the stones more regular, add facets that are not there, smooth the uneven kundan border and recolour the meena. The result looks expensive but it is not your piece.

GehnaLab separates the piece from your photo before any AI runs, keeps those pixels locked, and lets the model paint only the silk, light and props. The piece goes back on top and is compared with your upload. Images that match get a Piece unchanged mark. Images that do not are labelled AI look and are not charged.

![Museum photograph of a kundan and polki choker with seed pearls and a carved emerald drop on a grey background](https://gehnalab.com/media/pieces/kundan-choker.jpg)
*Source photo, British Museum collection.*

![The same kundan choker on maroon silk with a brass diya plate and marigold petals](https://gehnalab.com/media/generated/kundan-choker/festive.jpg)
*Festive Look. The choker's pixels are the source photo's. (GehnaLab output, Piece unchanged)*

## Looks that suit kundan and polki

| Look | Suits | Use it for |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Heritage Ivory | Kundan necklaces, antique finish | Website, catalogue |
| Bridal | Polki chokers, rani haars, bridal sets | Wedding-season ads, lookbooks |
| Festive | Gifting pieces, bangles, earrings | Diwali and Akshaya Tritiya posts |
| Marketplace White | Every piece | Marketplace main images |

- Heritage Ivory: ivory handloom and low window light. Gold leaf reads warm against ivory, and it is the safest choice for a website or catalogue.
- Bridal: oxblood silk and marigold warmth for polki chokers, rani haars and full bridal sets in wedding season.
- Festive: brass glow and soft bokeh for Diwali and Akshaya Tritiya campaigns.
- Marketplace White: required as the main image on most marketplaces. The white is pure, the shadow soft, and the piece fills most of the frame.

![Pair of polki chandbali earrings with mint green bead drops on a pure white background](https://gehnalab.com/media/generated/polki-chandbali/marketplace-white.jpg)
*Polki chandbalis in Marketplace White. (GehnaLab output, Piece unchanged)*

On-model images of heavy bridal sets are where AI most often redraws stones, because a choker has to curve around a neck. We label those honestly. Read more in the [virtual model guide](https://gehnalab.com/jewellery-model-photoshoot).

## Describing kundan and polki in your listing

A good image needs a good description beside it. Buyers searching for these pieces use specific words, and so do marketplace filters.

- Say whether stones are polki (uncut diamond), kundan glass or a simulant. Mixing these up causes returns.
- Give the metal and purity, for example 22k gold with BIS hallmark, or silver with gold plating.
- Mention meenakari on the reverse and its colours.
- Give the length of the necklace and the drop of the earrings in centimetres.

For listing images on Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra and Meesho, see the [white background guide](https://gehnalab.com/jewellery-photo-white-background). For a full collection shoot, see [catalogue photos](https://gehnalab.com/jewellery-catalogue-photos).

## Questions jewellers ask

### Can AI photograph polki without changing the stones?

Only if it never redraws the piece. GehnaLab keeps the piece's original pixels and checks every image against your upload. Images where a stone changed do not get the Piece unchanged mark.

### What background is best for kundan jewellery?

Ivory or warm off-white for catalogues and websites, deep red or maroon silk for bridal campaigns, and pure white for marketplace main images.

### Should I use a velvet box for kundan photos?

Not for the photo you upload. Velvet pile casts shadows into the setting and makes cut-outs harder. Use matte cloth or paper and let the Look add the styling.

### Can I photograph a full bridal set at once?

You can, but separate photos of the necklace, earrings and tikka give cleaner results and more images to list.

### Kundan jewellery ki photo mein gold hara kyun dikhta hai?

Tube light ya LED ki wajah se. Khidki ki daylight mein, flash band karke photo lijiye.