Punjabi Bridal Jewellery: Kundan, Polki, and the Complete Set

A Punjabi bride is a visual masterpiece.

The combination of vivid silk lehenga or heavy embroidered salwar kameez with layers of gold and Kundan jewellery is one of the most spectacular bridal aesthetics in India — and the world.

Punjabi weddings are multi-day, multi-ceremony affairs where the bride changes both outfit and complete jewellery set between the pheras, the milni, and the reception.

Understanding every piece in the traditional set is the foundation of planning this exquisite jewellery wardrobe.

The Ranihaar: Queen's Necklace

The ranihaar (literally "queen's necklace") is the long statement necklace that anchors the entire Punjabi bridal look.

It typically falls to mid-chest or lower, heavily worked in Kundan or polki settings with coloured gemstones — deep rubies, vivid emeralds, pearls — set in 22K yellow gold.

The ranihaar is not subtle.

It is bold, weighty, and magnificent, worn with the full knowledge that it will be the first thing every guest's eye lands on when they see the bride.

The Choker: The Companion Layer

Punjabi bridal jewellery is almost always layered at the neck — the ranihaar worn simultaneously with a fitted choker at the collar.

The choker is typically more tightly worked, sitting close to the throat, and is the visual "frame" from which the ranihaar hangs.

Together, the choker and ranihaar form the bridal necklace set that is photographed and remembered.

They are designed as a pair — matching Kundan work, matching stone colours, a coherent design language that reads as one unified neck ornament even though it is two separate pieces.

The Passa and Jhoomar: The Head Ornament

The passa (also known as jhoomar or side tikka) is one of the most distinctive pieces of Punjabi bridal jewellery and immediately identifies North Indian — specifically Punjabi — bridal tradition.

Where other Indian traditions wear the maang tikka at the centre forehead, Punjabi brides also wear the passa — an elaborate ornament that hangs from the side of the head, typically the right side, secured in the hair and draping over the temple.

It consists of a central ornamental piece with chains, pearls, or gem drops hanging from it, creating a glittering cascade at the side of the face.

At its most elaborate, a Punjabi passa is a genuine work of goldsmith art.

The Maang Tikka: The Centre Forehead Piece

Worn simultaneously with the passa, the maang tikka hangs from the centre parting of the hair onto the forehead.

In full Punjabi bridal jewellery, a bride wears both the maang tikka (centre) and the passa (side) — two head ornaments simultaneously.

The maang tikka for a Punjabi bride tends to be substantial — a central stone cluster (typically Kundan with a large central emerald or ruby) with a more elaborate drop than a minimalist style would suggest.

The Nath: The Nose Ring

Punjabi brides traditionally wear a large nath — a nose ring of considerable diameter, typically 5–8cm, worn on the left nostril.

The Punjabi nath is usually worn with a pearl-drop chain that connects from the ring to the hair (secured with a pin), which both supports the weight of the ring and creates a beautiful ornamentation across the cheek.

The nath chain is often set with pearls and small diamonds.

Wearing a large nath requires the piercing to be adequately healed and of appropriate gauge — discuss this with your jeweller and your piercer well in advance if you plan to wear a traditional Punjabi nath.

The Jhumka: The Bridal Earring

Punjabi bridal jhumkas are characteristically large — substantial bell earrings in 22K gold, often with Kundan or polki settings and pearl drops.

They are designed to be seen at the sides of the maang tikka and passa, providing the audio dimension of the bridal look (jhumkas chime gently with movement).

Avoid very long chain-link drops if you will be doing the phera ceremony — long earrings can catch on the dupatta or garlands.

The Haath Phool: The Back-of-Hand Ornament

The haath phool (literally "flower of the hand") is a distinctive piece that connects the wrist to the fingers — a ring worn on the middle finger connects via fine chains or a flat gold panel to a bracelet at the wrist, creating an ornament that spans the back of the hand.

It is one of the more dramatic pieces of the full Punjabi bridal set and creates an extraordinary visual effect in wedding photographs.

Haath phool can be Kundan-set or plain gold, and is typically worn only on the right hand.

The Chura: The Red and White Bangles

The chura is perhaps the single most culturally significant bangle tradition in India — a set of 21 red (laharia) and white (ivory or shell) bangles given to the Punjabi bride, traditionally by her maternal uncle, in a ceremony (the chura ceremony) the morning of the wedding.

The bride wears the chura for a minimum of 40 days after the wedding — some families traditionally observe one year — and is not supposed to look at the bangles until they are on her wrist (they are covered with red cloth during the ceremony).

Gold kadas are worn over the chura — typically one per wrist on top of the chura stack, anchoring the stack and adding gold to the visual.

The combination of red and white glass with yellow gold kadas is one of the most identifiably Punjabi visual signatures in Indian bridal culture.

The Kamarbandh / Waist Belt

A decorative gold waist belt worn over the bridal lehenga. Punjabi kamarbandhs tend toward Kundan settings with elaborate central pieces.

Unlike the South Indian oddiyanam (which is solid gold), North Indian kamarbandhs are often lighter, with openwork designs and pendant drops at the centre.

They sit at the natural waist and can be adjusted with hooks — discuss proper sizing with your jeweller, as the fit depends entirely on what you're wearing underneath.

The Payal: Anklets

Traditional Punjabi bridal payal (anklets) are worn on both ankles and are typically silver rather than gold — a traditional distinction across most North Indian bridal traditions where the feet are considered a zone for silver rather than gold.

However, modern bridal payal often uses gold or mixed metal, and many contemporary Punjabi brides choose gold anklets to coordinate with the rest of the set.

The payal should chime gently when you walk — a traditional sound requirement of bridal anklets.

Materials: Kundan, Polki, and 22K Gold

Traditional Punjabi bridal jewellery uses two primary setting techniques alongside 22K yellow gold:

• Kundan: Pure 24K gold foil burnished around stones to hold them without prongs. The stones are typically semi-precious (glass, quartz, synthetic coloured stones in traditional work) or precious (genuine ruby, emerald, sapphire in premium pieces). Kundan's flat, opaque aesthetic is distinctly Indian and has no Western equivalent.
• Polki: Uncut, unpolished natural diamonds set in gold using Kundan technique. Polki has a distinctive diffused, soft sparkle rather than the brilliant white light of cut diamonds. A polki set is the premium tier of Punjabi bridal jewellery — genuinely beautiful in a way that nothing else replicates, and a genuine investment in natural diamonds.

Where to Buy Punjabi Bridal Jewellery