A visit to Sarrafa bazaar in Saddar, the hub of jewelry-making in Karachi, is testimony to the hard work that goes into crafting a little trinket. Withstanding soaring temperatures due to an open furnace and standing for hours in a dimly-lit room is just part of the process.

Other than goldsmiths, the Sarrafa bazaar is also home to a large number of jewelry shops in the area. The goldsmiths are called ‘zargar’ in Urdu and it is with their skilled hands they craft unimpressive gold nuggets into delicate rings, necklaces and earrings. Unfortunately, the life of such artisans is not easy because they work on relatively low salaries and thus, their lives remain unchanged while the ones selling the finished product reap high profits. – Text by Suhail Yusuf and photographs by Hussain Afzal/White Star