An exquisite and unique piece of silver band comes into shape under a pair of skillful hands and unfailing determination. Gold and silver jewelries were popular in the olden days and holds for their sentimental values, usually handed down by mothers to daughters and granddaughters. As China enters into a modern era, when young people are more into fashion and fancy diamonds more than sentimental gold or silver, this traditional craftsmanship is quietly fading away. We take the opportunity to visit an old jewelry store located in Yuanmen Street to have a little artisanal sip of Pingtan！

Leading to the old street, a cobbled stone path and time-worn buildings line down the busy street. A small jewelry store awaits us at the corner. The humble-looking store is 29-year -old historical store owned by Xiao Denghua.

Taking up only 20 sqm, the store is furnished with some shabby antique looking furnishings - wooden workbench and table with flat hammers , tweezers , files, clams lying carelessly on the top-all reminds us of its history.

Hammering away in front of the bench is the 60-year-old owner of the store, Xiao Denghua. He was hammering on a piece of nickel silver to make a bracelet with silvery bells. "This is not difficult, but not many people are willing to do this nowadays. To make the bracelet, you need to melt the silver first, then stretch it into a long strand based on the wrist of the customer," said Xiao. He digs out several pieces of silver articles, puts them into an electronic weigh, and then drops them into a container to melt them. "This is what we call "silver melting”.

"It is very crucial to have the right temperature for heating. If the temperature is not high enough, the silver would not braze; but if it is too hot then it would break easily". After heating the silver properly, Xiao starts hammering the silver carefully to make both ends of the silver thinner for moulding.

After fixing it in a timber pile, Xiao confirmed the size of the bracelet. He cut down a part of the silver strand, heated it and then welded the bell and the strand together. The whole process was quick and fluent. It only took 40 minutes to make a traditional silver bracelet and aound 3 hours for an antique necklace.

"It takes longer time to make traditional jewelries of gold or silver. Nowadays, I make less traditional jewelries since many customers have no patience to wait. That’s why these jewelries are becoming unpopular. " Xiao sighed. Making a complicated gold and silver handiwork needs at least ten procedures including material selection, smelting, welding, polishing, pattern carving and so on. The most difficult process is to take shape which affects the overall appearance. Next is pattern carving. You need to have a good sense for art and design.

Although this is a time consuming and complex craftsmanship, Xiao Denghua has persisted his passion for 29 years. "I enjoy watching the skillful craftsmen at work. Each piece of traditional silver jewery is unique and different from factory-made jewelries", said Lin Ran, an old-time customer of Xiao. "This old shop holds a unique and irreplaceable memory for my family.”

"Craftsmen like Xiao Denghua are not only the carriers of traditional craftsmanship but also the inheritors of Pingtan's tradition and culture. If traditional crafts can keep pace with the times and be made into modern products, then we will be able to salvage a disappearing art and keep the local tradition alive," said Lai Min, a local folk art expert.