Jeweller Narandas dies after long illness
PIONEER jeweller Valkrishna “Krish” Narandas, who died in his sleep on Monday morning, will be remembered for his inspirational designs, hand-crafted jewellery and personal customer service, said his family.
Narandas, 71, was the owner of Narandas Jewellers, started in Durban in 1915 by his father, who took over a jewellery business from his father, Valabdas, an immigrant from Gujarat.
“He had been discharged from hospital on Friday and was recovering at home at the time of his death,” said his wife Rosanne. He had been ill for some time. Rosanne said Narandas, who owned stores at the Pavilion and Gateway, had handed over the reins of the business to his nephew after he took ill about a year ago.
Despite the couple’s business success, they also dealt with a lot of pain, including the death of their son, Rikesh, in 2014.
Their younger son Rajiv is currently serving a 15-year jail term for murder.
Narandas’s nephew, Ashir Narandas, said his death was an “incredible loss” to the family and they would miss him terribly.
Talking about the history of the business, he said his great grandfather, Valabdas, arrived in South Africa from India in 1896.
“He left his home with a vision to create quality jewellery and, on arrival, wasted no time. He began manufacturing silver jewellery during the day and visited his clients at night on horseback, leading to inspiring new jewellery creations as a result of his one-onone interaction.
“From the age of 13, Valabdas’s son, Narandas (Krish’s father), took a keen interest in the craft as he watched his dad working at his bench.
“In 1915, Valabdas passed away, leaving young Narandas, then only 16 years old, to build on the foundation laid by his father. He soon became the man with the Midas touch.
“He acquired new skills while on extended trips to India and Italy. He worked 14-hour days, designing and selling jewellery from a small shop window in Durban’s Madressa Arcade. Interestingly, his first jewellery was silver. His vision and love for the community and culture defined his path to success and this ensured that everything he touched turned to gold.”
In 1957, his son Bob joined the business. A few years later, in 1962, they opened a new store at 169 Grey Street.
A decade later, they opened a shop in Victoria Street and included a small workshop to manufacture fine gold pieces, employing six goldsmiths.
Also in that year, Bob’s brother Krish returned home from Germany, where he had been studying jewellery design and manufacturing for five years.
His joining the company and the addition of his skills set them up to be one of the first independent jewellers in Durban to manufacture diamond jewellery.
“He went on to employ a team of more than 20 skilled goldsmiths and designers. The workshop produced cutting-edge, hand-crafted gold and diamond jewellery,” said Ashir.
“His vision and passion for fine craftsmanship provided a valuable contribution to the local jewellery industry, providing training and guidance to many of the retail and manufacturing jewellers in South Africa.”
Narandas’s funeral is expected to take place at the Clare Estate Crematorium tomorrow afternoon.