Mangalore: Behind All the Glitter of Gold, a Story Untold

Florine Roche
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore

Mangalore, Nov 25: For centuries, the Vishwakarma Brahmins (Acharis in colloquial lingo) have shown their excellence in artistry through their creative craftsmanship as goldsmiths, blacksmiths, carpenters and sculptors and copper workers. Some of the famed traditional jewelry of coastal Karnataka and the sculptures of some of the temples owe its grandeur to the craftsmanship of these Vishwakarma Brahmins. Not long ago Car Street in Mangalore was filled with gold and a silver jewelry shop run by them and was abuzz with intense activity. Now these streets remain only a semblance of what it was a decade ago and that gives us a foretaste of the fate awaiting the Vishwakarma Brahmin community especially the goldsmiths.

Mangalore is now a witness to the story of the much debated kirana stores vs the retails shops following the recent decision of the government to allow more than 50% FDI in retail stores. This debate or situation applies to the goldsmiths and small time jewelry shop owners in Mangalore. Coastal city Mangalore has witnessed an avalanche of retail gold shops making a foray in Mangalore market. Considering the stiff competition they face from these big time retail outlets it looks as though it is just a matter of time before the admirable craftsmanship of our local goldsmith dies out. As of now it is only their traditional and loyal customers who keep them afloat and that too may not last long. They have no other go but to retire silently and the tradition is sure to die.

Bleak Future for Local Goldsmiths

The future looks quite ominous because small time goldsmiths cannot take on the mite of the big brands by matching their styles, designs, the swanky spacious air conditioned showrooms with huge lounges and their aggressive marketing strategy. They do not have the wherewithal to lure customers with discounts, gifts or other benefits which the big brands are offering. They cannot compete with the multitude of designs made from factories and machines produced in bulk in no time or those designs done by goldsmiths from Bengal, Rajasthan or other states.

S V Achar, former President of district goldsmith association who is also the honorary President of Vishwakarma Union points out “there is a deluge of big brands in Mangalore in the last few years. Their jewelry is mostly machine made and they don’t employ local goldsmiths. Even if they have to keep a few employees they use the services of Bengalis many of whom have made Mangalore their home”. S V Achar also points out that gone are the days when women wanted solid gold ornaments. These days there is a clamor of stylish designs and various types of jewelry and women opt for delicate but stylish piece of jewelry and these big players who stock huge collection of designs are able to satisfy their needs.

In comparison, local goldsmiths have not been able to adapt to the changes and come out with ornaments to satisfy the tastes of today’s customers. Ever since BIS hallmarking for gold and silver sold in the country certifying the purity of the metal has come into practice in 2000 April onwards, people have begun to insist on hallmarking. But many goldsmiths barring a few bigger players have failed to adhere to this norm. Even as 91.6 purity of gold became a standard practice people think it is better to be on the safer side and go to those jewelers who stick to this specification of purity.

A Clever Ploy?

S V Achar however, denies that local goldsmiths were not adhering to the 916 purity norm in their ornaments. While melting the gold there is a possibility that the purity may come down to some extent due to the soldering involved. “But it is a standard practice for all these big show rooms to easily hoodwink the customers saying the purity of gold other than theirs as less pure. It is a strategy adopted by them and gullible people usually believe it” says S V Achar. He says people should question the veracity of such jewelers and challenge them. He cites the example of a customer who cut a gold bangle into two and showed the unsealed part to the shop from which he bought it only to be told that the purity was 20 carat. Unfortunately only a minuscule minority of customers may take the risk of challenging these big brands.

It is not just the designs and patterns that have sounded the death knell for our traditional jewelers. The younger generation is hardly drawn to this traditional occupation as it is not paying enough and is quite strenuous. Says K Shivaraya Achar, who at 70, prepares jewelry for a reputed local gold shop. Shivaray Achar who has been in the profession for more than 55 years says he has not brought his children into this profession because there is no guarantee of security and he will not be able to eke out a living from this. “It is a difficult job involving blowing air through blowers, working with fire inhaling smoke risking our health, working with the poisonous nitric acid. We have to work in the dim light without fan and yet come out with intricate designs. It is a delicate job that requires dedication, concentration and hard work. We have worked in these conditions for earning our livelihood as there was no other option”, Shivaray says.

Shivaray declares that traditional goldsmiths who work in these conditions face eye sight problem at a young age as they have to work in the fire and smoke. They also have stiff back and joints. Jewelry making is a delicate job and after a certain age it is bound to affect the eyes. Moreover, unlike earlier times, these days traditional goldsmiths are not getting young helpers to train in the profession.

Not for Gen Next

D Shankaracharya, another goldsmith who has been working for single organizations for the last 40 years says that he is being paid making and wastage charges for the jewelry he makes and what they are paid is a pittance. “I have been provided with a place to work but if my employer tells me to go when I may not be able to come out with chiseled jewelry I may have to go without expecting anything in return. Our future always hangs in balance and I would never consider the idea of bringing my children into this profession”, he states. These goldsmiths have put in years of hard work before they graduated to making intricate jewelry.

Shivaray Achar says he worked as assistant at the homes of other established goldsmith. “Once we join them for training we have to do all sorts of chores at their homes. In the beginning we are given only small works and that too only of silver ornaments. Only after years of practice we are graduated to making jewelry”

To add to their woes of local goldsmiths, big branded shops don’t employ local goldsmiths as they purchase bulk jewellery from others. As of now Canara Jewelers is the only jewelers who provides employment to a large number of goldsmiths in Mangalore. These jewelry shop owners also cannot be blamed for this trend because people’s tastes have undergone far-reaching changes.

While talking about big jewelers coming to Mangalore, one wonders whether a small city like Mangalore with a population of around 6 to 7 lakhs is capable of sustaining so many big players in the market and their number is increasing. For example Kalyan Jewellers which has 45 showrooms all over the country boasts of their biggest showroom in Mangalore with an area of about 18,000 sq ft. It is also the biggest jewelry showroom in Mangalore. Ajay Babu K J, who heads the Mangalore division, says “coming to Mangalore was a part of the expansion plan undertaken by his employer to make a pan India presence. We are able to sustain because the number of people investing in gold has increased over the last few years”. He says his company has set gold of reaching 100 showrooms by 2015.

S Prashanth Shet of S L Shet Jewellers echoing similar views says “there is no history of gold ditching anyone. If you stock gold it will go up by 10 to 15% every year and gold is a neutral currency even for the banks who invest in it. There is a sharp increase in the number of people investing in gold and hence the demand and also large supply”. He says his business is affected to a certain extent due to the onslaught of these big showrooms but points out that he has his traditional customers which keeps him going. “We sell jewelry especially the traditional jewelry of Mangalore which many big jewelers are not capable of doing”, Prashant Shet points out.

As for the purity controversy Prashant says 15 years ago whoever was in the jewelry business has done jewelry in the purity of 82, 85, and 89 as per the standard at the time until it has come to the present 91.6 in 2000. So it is not right to point out fingers at any one on this aspect. Prashant says all his jewelry is hallmarked and hence there is guarantee for purity. He also says that local goldsmiths should “move with the changing time and introduce hallmark system for their jewelry”. As for the competition Prashant Shet says “competition is healthy and it is a learning process for us. Without competition we cannot learn anything”.

Float or Sink

No doubt jewelers like S L Shet have been able to hold on their own despite stiff competition from the big retail shops. But the story of local goldsmiths is heartrending as they are not able to cope up with the stiff challenge of the biggies. Many are jobless and some of them have resorted to the extreme step of committing suicide.

But the customers who are oblivious of the behind the scene happenings will go on buying jewelry wherever he feels like buying and that is what sustains the big and gigantic players. After all, a customer is the king. The regrettable aspect of this sordid development is that our fine craft of jewelry making will die out and with that that the lives of the goldsmiths for whom it is the traditional occupation.