For one adult, that fantasy came true right before his very eyes.

Filmmaker Ben Rongen, 65, had the once-in-a-lifetime experience of watching 400-year-old artefacts slowly hauled up from the depths of the ocean.

Raised in Australia, Ben told FMT that he first came to Malaysia in 1994 and ran a successful production house in Kuala Lumpur for 15 years.

His typical work day included producing corporate documentaries and television commercials as well as programmes.

“But I was slowly yearning to break out from the usual work. I wanted to document a more fascinating subject, especially on history,” he says.

And that’s how he chanced upon famed Swedish marine archaeologist Sten Sjostrand who worked on ancient shipwrecks in the South China Sea.

“When I approached him, he had already discovered seven other shipwrecks on the East Coast of Malaysia while working together with the National Museum of Malaysia.”

Excited to embark on a new project, Rongen joined Sjostrand and his bold crew to document their journey. That was in 2002.

And then something truly fascinating happened. Six months into the documentary, Sjostrand and his team discovered yet another shipwreck, this one located near Tenggol Island, Terengganu.

Rongen says that to his complete amazement and excitement, the wreck turned out to be a Portuguese ship from 1625 carrying blue and white ceramic from the late Ming dynasty.

“We think it was shot down by the Dutch who were fighting the Portuguese over Malacca in the 1600s, so this was their attempt to sink as many Portuguese ships travelling from China in order to discourage them from pursuing Malacca,” he explains.

“This particular ship was not very big – about 25 metres. But since I was a novice in terms of ceramics and shipwrecks, it was an absolutely thrilling feeling being able to witness history being hauled onto our boat.

“Plus, the sheer fact that we were looking at 400-year-old history was amazing,” chuckles Rongen.

He tells FMT that the blue and white ceramic hauled from the Wanli shipwreck (named after Emperor Wanli who ruled China from 1573 to 1620) was known as Kraak porcelain.

The name Kraak was derived from the Portuguese carracks which transported cargo like ceramics that was specifically for export to the European market.

According to Rongen, the crew hauled over 9,000 kilos of broken ceramic and spent three whole years excavating the ship.

“Once all the artefacts were in the warehouse and shared with the National Museum of Malaysia, there were still 4,000 kilos left of broken ceramic pieces,” says Rogen.

Taken up with just how beautiful the shards of ceramics were, it suddenly occurred to him that these pieces of underwater history would made beautiful jewellery.

That’s when he decided to set-up his unique jewellery studio called fittingly, Kraak Creations.

“These hand-painted ceramics have been laying at the bottom of the ocean for 400 years but even though it’s broken, I still see the beauty and value in them,” Rongen says, explaining that he began incorporating these pieces into simple jewellery and gifting it to friends who instantly fell in love with them.

When asked where he learned to make jewellery, Rongen laughs out loud, explaining that he’s self-taught.

He learned through trial and error how to cut the pieces of ceramics, grind them with his machine and craft earrings, pendants, necklaces, bracelets and cufflinks out of the cut pieces.

His non-silver jewellery line of pendants and earrings is priced from RM100 and above.

The bigger and rarer the ceramic pieces, the costlier the jewellery with some even brandishing a price tag of close to RM1,000. He explains that these pieces are often used for fashion shows.

If you’re into ceramics with a touch of silver, be prepared to fork out at least RM200 for a piece. Some of the more exquisite and extravagant creations are priced at RM1,500.

Every piece of jewellery comes with a certificate of authenticity, a serial number and a money-back guarantee – so you know it’s the real deal.

“I believe that everyone can own a piece of history with this jewellery. It doesn’t matter if it’s a pair of earrings or cufflinks – the beautiful blue and white ceramics have a tale to tell.”

“I may be 65 but I’m still very fit – I dive!” he chuckles, saying that he is hoping to see the day where he may finally travel again to explore and unearth the many other shipwrecks in Malaysia.

If you wish to own a beautiful piece of history, check out Kraak Creation’s Facebook page for Rongen’s beautiful works of art.