It was 1885

when a young pewtersmith named Yong Koon sailed from

the port of Shantou to Kuala Lumpur.

The discovery of tin in Malaya had lured him and thousands of other Chinese to the fledgling tin-mining town, where he
joined his brothers who had established themselves as tinsmiths.

Yong Koon enjoyed brisk business making simple household items of tin, operating from his shop at No. 23 Cross Street.
He later made pewter incense burners, joss stick holders and candlestands for the altars of Chinese temples. Employing
a few other craftsmen, he was among the first pewtersmiths in Kuala Lumpur.

Just as silver products are hallmarked, Yong Koon stamped each of his products with the mark "Yu He Zu Xi", where
"Yu He" or Jade Peace was the name of the shop, and "Zu Xi" or pure tin reflected the high quality of the material used.

In the 1930s, when demand for traditional ceremonial pewterware was on a decline, Yong Koon and his sons started
making European-style products for the British and other expatriates. This was an important turning point for the
business.

The 70s was an exciting period for the company as it started exporting to Singapore, Hong Kong, Germany, Denmark,
Japan, Australia and the UK. It also diversified its business to the design, manufacture and marketing of precious
jewellery under the Selberan brand name. Later in 1993, the company acquired Comyns, one of the oldest and most
prestigious silversmiths in the world. Both companies continue to be a part of the Royal Selangor group.

In 1979, the company received a royal warrant from the Sultan of Selangor and in 1992, changed its name to Royal
Selangor. Today, the third and fourth generations of the Yong family work with a passionate team of managers to build
Royal Selangor into a truly global brand.

With a workforce of more than 250 craftspeople, the pewter factory based in Setapak is now part of an award-winning
Visitor Centre, which attracts over 200,000 visitors a year from all over the world. It is here that today's generation of consumers learn about Royal Selangor's humble beginnings and how pewter continues to be very much a handcrafted industry.