PAPA

PAPA ARTISAN – RAJU MURUGESU

“What matters most is the heart… Anybody can master the craft provided with training, but it takes someone with strong morale to withstand the temptation of greed. A goldsmith works with precious stones and gold everyday. He has to take his job with dignity and utmost honesty because goodwill is his most important asset”

– Raju Murugesu

M. Thana’s Goldsmith is currently run by a husband and wife team – Mr Raju Murugesu and Mdm Thanalaxni Veerappan. Raju comes from a 3-generation goldsmith family; he learned the craft at the tender age of 12 from his father. Thana, on the other hand, is from a family running a jewellery business. Raju came from Tamil Nadu in 1992, first worked at Thana’s family business in Bukit Mertajam where he met Thana and they got married in 1999. In 2001, Raju and Thana moved to George Town to start their own business. At first, they shared the current shopfront with Thana’s uncle who had been operating there since 1996. They eventually took over the whole shop after the uncle’s retirement.

raju murugesu portrait Today, M. Thana’s Goldsmith mainly focuses on the making of custom-made jewellery, although they also provide a small collection of ready-made items such as nose studs, rings and earrings. Other services provided are jewellery repair and remodelling, as well as assessing of precious stones. For custom-made jewellery services, customers can either provide their own design, choose sample designs from pattern books or request the shop to design according to their preferences. Coming from Tamil Nadu, Raju’s specialty is in carving South Indian style jewellery, although he is equally capable of making pieces from other styles.

 

Raju Murugesu’s shop:

M. Thana’s Goldsmith
38 Queen Street,
10200 George Town