Gold Ambada Pin with Paisley Scale Edge and Kundan Medallion

The edge of this arch is built from overlapping scales — a row of small curved paisley shapes, each lying partly over the next, running the whole length of the curve like the feathers along a wing. It is a quieter treatment than a row of spikes and a far more interesting one than a plain rim: the overlapping creates a line of soft shadows down the outer edge, so the arch has depth even where there are no stones at all.

At the upper end sits a large round medallion, deeper and more domed than a flat rosette, with a central stone surrounded by a ring of petals and a scalloped outer border. It is the heaviest-looking element on the piece, and it balances the long sweep of the arch below it.

Two colourways: Diamond White, clear kundan throughout, which lets the metalwork carry the whole piece and goes with any outfit; and Red, ruby-red and the more festive of the two. Red pieces sometimes carry green among the reds for the traditional ruby-and-emerald effect, and we confirm which before dispatch. A white pearl in a fluted gold cap hangs from each tip of the arch.

An ambada pin is worn around the bun rather than through it. The decorated arch lies against the outside of the coil, following its curve, and a single straight prong behind the arch slides into the hair and anchors it. That is a different fitting from a two-prong juda fork and a different effect: a fork shows a motif sitting on top of the bun, while an arch frames the bun and outlines it. It is the standard Maharashtrian way of finishing a low bun, worn with a nauvari saree, and it survives because nothing else makes a plain coil of hair look finished so quickly.

Make the bun first and secure it with pins or a band. Hold the arch against the lower edge of the coil so the two curves match, then push the straight prong in under the bun and up into the hair behind it. The arch should rest against the hair rather than standing away from it. If it tips forward, the bun is too small for the arch — a slightly larger, looser coil holds one better than a tight small one.

Of the gold arches here this is the one to choose if you want something that reads as expensive without reading as loud. The scale edge is detailed enough to hold up at close range and quiet enough from a distance that it does not compete with a heavy necklace — which matters at a wedding, where everything else you are wearing is already working hard.

Wear it on a low bun with the hair smooth, and keep whatever is at the ears restrained. It suits a silk saree particularly well, where the scale pattern picks up the texture of the fabric.

Base metal is copper with a gold-tone finish. Hairspray is what shortens the life of a plated hair ornament faster than anything else: it settles as a slightly acidic film, and a pin sits directly in the spray. Spray first, let it dry completely, then put the pin in, and wipe it with a dry cloth before it goes back in its pouch.

About the Gold-Tone Finish

This is brass with a gold-tone plating rather than solid gold, which keeps the price where it is and the weight low enough to wear comfortably. Plating is a surface rather than a bulk property, so how long it lasts depends almost entirely on what it meets — perfume, hairspray and sweat all shorten it, while a dry cloth after wearing and a closed pouch between wearings extend it considerably.

Care

Put this on after perfume, hairspray and hand cream, and take it off before washing, swimming or sleeping. Wipe with a dry soft cloth and use a dry soft brush around the stone settings and between any pearls, where a cloth cannot reach. Store it in a zip-lock pouch — which is what the supplier themselves advise, and the single most effective thing for a plated piece, because it keeps humid air off the metal. Never use silver polish, dip cleaners or an ultrasonic cleaner.