Imitation jewellery from India covers everything from traditional Indian costume jewellery, such as kundan and temple sets, to plain fashion pieces for Western markets. The great majority of Indian imitation jewellery wholesale trade is concentrated in a few Gujarat and Rajasthan clusters, with Rajkot the largest for export.
This page maps the categories and hubs so you can decide where to start. The terms artificial, fashion and costume jewellery overlap heavily; imitation, fashion and artificial jewellery explains how makers use each word.
The main categories
Indian makers group their output roughly like this:
- Ethnic and bridal jewellery, including kundan, polki-look, temple, meenakari and oxidised pieces, usually sold as matched sets.
- Fashion and Western-style jewellery, such as minimal chains, layered necklaces, studs, hoops and statement earrings.
- American diamond and cubic zirconia pieces, which sit between ethnic and party wear.
- Everyday accessories: bangles, anklets, hair accessories, rings and pendants.
- Components and findings, sold to brands that assemble their own designs.
Where it is made
Rajkot is known for imitation jewellery with strong casting, plating and setting trades side by side. The reasons are set out in why Rajkot is a hub for imitation jewellery. Ahmedabad and Surat also make and trade jewellery, and Jaipur is better known for its own stone and enamel traditions.
Because the supporting trades sit close together, one maker can often offer a wide mix of finishes. Not every workshop is equally good at every finish, though, so ask each one for a sample in the style you want.
What different markets tend to buy
Demand follows who is wearing the jewellery. Indian diaspora buyers in the UK, US, Canada and the Gulf look for wedding sets, jhumkas, bangles and festival pieces. Gulf and African buyers often prefer bolder, heavier-looking gold-tone designs.
Online sellers in Europe and North America lean towards lighter, simpler pieces, often in minimal or boho styles, and they care more about plating durability and safe-metal compliance. The detail is in what you can source from Rajkot.
What decides cost and quality
Without quoting numbers, the main drivers are the base metal, the plating type and thickness, the stones and how they are set, the weight of the piece, and how much hand finishing is involved. Two necklaces that look alike in photos can differ widely in these.
Compliance is the other factor. If you sell into the EU, UK or US, ask each supplier about nickel, lead and cadmium limits before you choose designs, not after. Our article on reading a lab certificate shows what a proper test report contains.
How should you start with a first range?
Pick a single market and two or three categories rather than the whole catalogue. A buyer selling to the UK diaspora might begin with earrings, bangles and one bridal set, then add categories once the first order has arrived and sold.
Keep the first order small enough to survive a mistake, but large enough to be a fair test of the maker. Order a few colours of the same design rather than many unrelated designs, because repeat orders of a proven style are where the real margin comes from. Ask each maker for a written specification of every approved piece so that a reorder six months later matches the first.
Next step
The easiest way to begin is with one category and one market, then widen. We can shortlist makers for that range, have samples checked and tested, and supervise production. To discuss your range, book a free sourcing review, or see what we source.