Established in 1935, Chan Kwong Kee Jewellery started out in the Central and Sheung Wan area as a shop occupying only half the space of the building it was in. After the war, the Hui family turned their pawn shop into a jeweller, which is now in the hands of the third-generation inheritor. He recalls that his grandfather and father were already doing business with many wealthy people in the city during the brand’s early days, as well as witnessing the business district expand from Central and Sheung Wan to Wan Chai and Causeway Bay.

In the 1990s, jewellery shops in Hong Kong became a frequent heist target among mainland Chinese criminals, and the industry was in the grip of constant fear. However, the impact was far less severe than that brought by the financial crisis which followed. The company’s jewellery craftsmen witnessed the significant downsizing of the factory which once employed dozens of people, and business went into free fall. Twenty years later, the brand is still standing thanks to its integrity and the golden reputation that it has built over the decades. The shop’s sign and nostalgic decor do not only hold treasured memories for the owner, but also the people of Hong Kong.