Zurenawatte Zaidil. -Bernama photo
KUCHING: Zurenawatte Zaidil firmly believes that money can be made from earth – more precisely, clay.
Today, the 39-year-old mother of four earns RM25,000 a month from the numerous products she makes from the beads she produces from clay.
Her Heliconia Craft Collection is one of four producers of beads from clay in Kuching.
The beads she produces come in various forms and colours and they are used to make chains, bangles, earrings and other ornaments based on customer preference.
“We always play with earth … why don’t we get the maximum benefit from this natural element?
“Foreign tourists are impressed with the beads produced from clay. They buy not just the beads and the products made from them, but also the clay itself in various forms,” Zurenawatte told Bernama here on the sidelines of the ongoing Asean Tourism Forum 2014.
She said she ventured into Sarawak ethnic beads production after attending a course on the use of clay-firing equipment and the beads processing technique with Sirim Berhad.
“We need to attend the course and use the machinery provided by Sirim or the clay may not solidify correctly during firing,” she said.
Zurenawatte said she used clay from Tapah, Serian, due to its white colour and ability to withstand a high temperature.
On the average, she places orders for nine tonnes of clay per year, with each tonne fetching a price of about RM900. She said the purchased clay had to be cleaned of dirt and other impurities first before a chemical was added to it to enable it withstand the high temperature.
Then, the moisture in the clay was removed and, after another straining, it was shaped into various patterns, glazed and then fired to a temperature of 1,200 degrees Celsius, she said.
Besides selling the products made from beads, Zurenawatte also gets orders for functions and also from fashion designers.
She is happy to be able to earn up to RM25,000 per month and more so because her four children have begun to show an interest in the business. — Bernama