Selvan even has a name for the chain -- Lakhu Hema Malyam. And if one is worried about whether the chain would be durable, Selvan has proof to strengthen his claim. A chain of just 1 gm has been around his neck for the last 15 years. ``This one will also be equally durable,'' he says confidently.

A resident of Kadakavur near here, 30-year-old Selvan has participated in many exhibitions, at regional and national levels. In 1993, he represented the State at the national exhibition organised by SMSM Institute. The next year, he competed for the State award. He was among the participants at the first gold exhibition in the State, held at Kochi in 1997. Last year, he was the sole entry from Kerala at the exhibition held in Calcutta.

Selvan may be dexterous with gold, but he is sad at beingdenied a fair deal. Although his deeds cry out for recognition, the Government has turned a blind eye to his repeated requests for financial support. The grama panchayat gave him some encouragement by granting Rs 1000 last year.

The perfection which one associates with Selvan, comes from years of honing skills. Selvan began working on gold when he was just 10. Although academically bright, poverty at home and the sudden demise of his mother forced Selvan to fend for the family and himself. The mundane work of a goldsmith did not interest him enough, but work on gold which reflected his unique skills certainly did. To add to that, there was the desire to do something different.

Selvan started off by making a miniature chain of 1 gm. Finding the chain not light enough, he succeeded in making another one which weighed just 850 mg. The 800 mg chain is his latest, but Selvan assures you that the best, or the lightest, is yet to come.

``It requires tremendous patience and hard work. Even tools like plier,blades etc have to be made specially to suit my needs. I join together extremely small granules of gold. In fact, I took almost a year to make my 800 mg chain. I take pride from the fact that none of my clients have ever come back with a complaint,'' says Selvan.

``I believe in honesty and hard work. I have been working for about 9 hours a day for the past 15 years. In Calcutta, a client offered me Rs 25,000 for the 0.85 gm chain, but without even a second thought I rejected the offer. I will give my work to a Government organisation, rather than to a private client,'' he says.

Ask him about his greatest dream and he smiles innocently. ``I want to enter the Guinness Book of World Records,'' he admits, a trifle shyly. No small ambition this, but Selvan has the talent to turn dreams into reality.