Date:30/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/30/stories/2008113058540300.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Adding dazzle to precious metals at work

K. Lakshmi

— Photo: M.Vedhan

ADDING SHEEN: A goldsmith in Park Town.

CHENNAI: They are the hands behind exquisite jewellery that adorn people . Park Town is the hub for goldsmiths who work through the day, making, filing, soldering and polishing precious metals to give that dazzling touch to jewellery.

It is from the Edapalayam Street in Park Town that the city receives most of its supply of gold jewellery. Goldsmiths here specialise in making different types of jewellery and stone setting. Goldsmiths in the city said that earlier, they used to design the jewellery they made. But, now with modern technology and competition for exclusive jewellery, most of them restrict themselves to making jewellery alone.

They said that fine gold, which is given to them by jewellers, is alloyed with copper to strengthen it. K. Kandan, who entered the profession at age of eight, said that he specialised in making ornaments in the traditional Tamil Nadu style. Jewellery with gem stones that allow light only through the top of the stone is the Tamil Nadu style of stone settings.

North Indians in the industry specialise in open setting allowing light through both ends of a gem stone. Different styles of stone settings are adopted for various gem stones to refract the light, he said.

“I make at least five chains in a day. As I spend most of my working hours that span to nearly 11 hours in drooping position and straining eyes, I often suffer from body ache. Most people in the trade are forced to wear spectacles when they turn 45 as they have to work in dim lighting,” he said.

Goldsmiths also need to spend a considerable part of their working hours near the fire to melt the gold. “While there are machines to melt gold of large quantity, we have to melt the gold in small quantity by blowing the fire,” he said.

Some of the goldsmiths who could not withstand the strain have moved out of the profession. Unlike in the past, goldsmiths are paid much lesser now, several of them said.

R. Saravanan, a goldsmith, said that most people in the trade take home an average of Rs.10,000 as monthly salary. “We get only 2-3 per cent out of the jewellery sales where as the jewellers make a margin of nearly 22 per cent in the sales.” Despite many hardships, goldsmiths prefer to stay in the trade, as they do not want to venture into an unknown profession.