Shellac in India: ancient Resin with eternal value

In India, shellac is traditionally used as a versatile natural material, obtained from the resinous secretions of the tree-dwelling lac bug Kerria lacca.

Its main use is in the making of traditional churi bracelets. Craftsmen melt purified shellac, mix it with colored pigments, and apply it to a metal or wooden base. Due to its malleability when heated and hardness after cooling, shellac allows for the inlay of fine mirrors, beads, and precious stones, which are firmly fixed in the hardened resin.

Besides jewelry, shellac sheets are used to finish high-end wooden furniture and musical instruments such as the sitar. The shellac-based alcohol varnish penetrates deep into the wood's pores, creating a deep, mirror-like shine and protecting the wood from the high humidity of the tropics. In India's industrial sector, shellac is still used as a natural insulator in electrical engineering and as an environmentally friendly coating for pharmaceutical tablet coatings. This natural resin is valued for its non-toxicity and biodegradability, making it in demand even in the age of synthetic plastics.