Goldsmith's Tools

My student took me to see some old Foochow goldsmiths in Bintulu and it was lovely to hear some of their stories.

There are not many Foochow goldsmiths left in Sarawak. And most of them are already old enough to retire. I have often wonder whether there will be a new generation of Foochow goldsmiths in Sarawak.

In my family there has been no goldsmith at all because the Tiongs originally came from the hilly regions of Minqing and we were agricultural people. When my great grandparents and grandfather migrated to Sibu, they contiunued their agricultural outlook but developed academic and business outlooks. My great grandfather became a contractor and my grandfather took the opportunities to start several businesses.

The only gold smith related to us was a cousin who apprenticed himself to a gold smith. He was the son of my father's first cousin who married a teacher Lee. Because in those early days not every one could go to college. So this cousin of mine took up goldsmithing and did prosper. 

Today as I look at gold smith's tools which are rather old fashioned and basic I would think of all those long ago days when relatvies would go to his shop and ask for advice. Many relatives had so much gold that they were kept in milo tins!!

A relative had a gold chain that was worth a few thousand dollars, after her husband sold a lot of rubber sheets to Hock Chiong. Those were the days when rubber sheets were sold by men and their wives bought gold chains.

It was quite safe to wear very big and heavy gold chains.