GEORGE TOWN, July 25 — For fourth-generation goldsmith Raju Murugesan, every piece of jewellery he made was forged by hand, each intricate detail painstakingly carved, a skill that was handed down in his family for generations.
The 65-year-old and his wife operate a goldsmith shop on Queen Street, where he continues the labour-intensive craft despite competition from modern jewellery shops that often sell factory-made pieces.
His great-grandfather was a goldsmith in India before the trade was handed down to his grandfather, parents and eventually to him.
Raju said he learnt the trade from his parents and has been making jewellery by hand ever since.
His wife, M. Thanas, 65, also comes from a family of goldsmiths.
“My father and grandfather were also goldsmiths in Bukit Mertajam,” she said.
A compatible match
Incidentally, it was because of their similar family business that the couple met and got married before first starting their goldsmith business in Bukit Mertajam.
“We moved to Queen Street in George Town about 30 years ago and we are still operating there,” she said.
Though business has dropped in recent times due to competition, Thanas said they still have their regular customers who would order custom-made jewellery from them.
“Every piece is handcrafted and hand-carved to suit each customer’s requirements,” she said.
The goldsmith shop produces both traditional and contemporary jewellery and, at the same time, they also produce intricately carved gold filigrees and decorative items for Hindu temples.
“We also make custom wedding thali necklaces and recently, we made the gold crown for a deity of a Hindu temple,” she said.
She said what made them different from other goldsmiths was that all of the pieces they made were handmade, so they rarely have any mass-produced jewellery items.
“We only use machines for heavy tasks but every detail in the jewellery is engraved, shaped and carved by hand so each piece is one-of-a-kind,” she said.
Shared duties
While Raju is in charge of the goldsmithing, Thanas said she takes care of the operations of the shop and marketing.
“He does all the hard labour so I have to take care of the business side of the shop,” she said.
The M. Thanas Goldsmith shop was one of 10 traditional trades featured in Penang Global Tourism’s traditional trades campaign this year, held in collaboration with Penang Heritage Trust.
The campaign was presented for the second time following its successful debut last year and was recently launched by state tourism and creative economy committee chairman Wong Hon Wai.
Wong said the campaign serves as a reminder that every traditional trade, handmade product and family recipe forms part of Penang’s identity and soul.
He said they are examples of the state’s living heritage, preserving traditional recipes, craftsmanship, entrepreneurship and family legacies for future generations.
