East Java home to world class goldsmiths<\/p>\n
Indra Harsaputra, The Jakarta Post\/Surabaya<\/p>\n
Why was the 2004 Indonesian Jewelry Exhibition held in the
\ncapital city of East Java?<\/p>\n
Why was it not held in the national capital of Jakarta, still
\nthe center of everything (commerce, media, fashion trends), with
\nSurabaya running a distant second?<\/p>\n
Or, why not in Makassar, long renowned for its cheap,
\nbeautiful gold jewelry, or in Yogyakarta or Bali, also centers of
\njewelry production?<\/p>\n
\"Not many know that East Java is the biggest contributor of
\njewelry exports to the country's income,\" said Dhidhi Teguh
\nWiyono, an official with the province's office of the Ministry of
\nTrade and Industry.<\/p>\n
At the event, there were at least 19 big companies and
\nthousands of small and medium enterprises producing jewelry for
\nexport.<\/p>\n
Data from the ministry show that the jewelry sector, employing
\nthousands, could reach a production value of Rp 11.5 trillion.
\nFrom January until May 2004, the total value of exports from East
\nJava was US$28.2 million to Singapore, Hong Kong, United States,
\nUnited Arab Emirates and several European nations.<\/p>\n
Its export value accounts for 25 percent of the country's
\ntotal jewelry exports.<\/p>\n
Because of the potential, the local administration plans to
\nbuild a center in the near future for the goldsmiths -- currently
\nscattered in Rungkut industrial area, Sidoarjo, Nganjuk,
\nPamekasan, Mojokerto and in remote villages of Madura off the
\nEast Java coast.<\/p>\n
\"We are currently studying the feasibility of this plan. The
\nstate-run 10 November Surabaya Institute of Engineering (ITS) is
\nhelping us conduct the feasibility study,\" Dhidhi told The
\nJakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Last year, a similar exhibition was also held in the
\nprovincial capital and the event jacked up income from the
\njewelry trade, particularly silver.<\/p>\n
For gold, the Indonesian manager of the World Gold Council
\n(WGC), Leo Hadi Loe, said the price trend fluctuated wildly.<\/p>\n
\"Our gold exports this year dived 40 percent compared to the
\nprevious one,\" said Leo.<\/p>\n
He hoped that more exhibitions would be held in Surabaya, in
\norder to allow the smaller enterprises to showcase their works
\nand establish contact with a broader commercial network.<\/p>\n
In terms of designs and trends, Leo believes that Indonesia in
\ngeneral and Surabaya in particular could compete globally.<\/p>\n
But how many of us realize that a stunning, glittering piece
\nof jewelry we are wearing actually came from the scruffy
\nworkshops of goldsmiths and silversmiths scattered around
\nSurabaya and surrounding towns?<\/p>\n
Some 50 kilometers southwest of Surabaya in Trowulan is
\nBejijong village, a center for small-scale goldsmiths and
\nsilversmiths. They create beautiful crafts and jewelry using
\nsimple and traditional tools, a tradition passed down from their
\nancestors.<\/p>\n
This time of year is particularly busy as traditional
\ngoldsmiths and silversmiths have to deal with doubled orders,
\nhaving to work overtime to get them done on time.<\/p>\n
Soegeng Prayitno has registered a 10 percent increase in
\norders of silver statues for Bali souvenir shops.<\/p>\n
The Bali orders include statues of eagles, whales, crocodiles,
\nlizards and elephants.<\/p>\n
Soegeng and his craftsmen also make bracelets, necklaces and
\nrings with traditional motifs, from temple reliefs to busts of
\nMajapahit rulers like Raden Wijaya or Tribuana Tungga Dewi.<\/p>\n
Most of his products are sent to Bali to be sold in jewelry
\nshops and souvenir stores.<\/p>\n
\"For statues, we make the shape depending on the order but for
\njewelry, it's up to us to decide the motif and design,\" Soegeng
\ntold the Post.<\/p>\n
Trowulan was once the capital of the Majapahit kingdom (1292-
\n1389 A.D.), and many ruins still dot the landscape. People in the
\narea, like those in Bali, still have a strong attachment to the
\narts and culture of the former empire.<\/p>\n
Soegeng and his fellow silversmiths continue the traditions of
\ntheir ancestors. Although they are exposed to the dynamic
\nmovement in jewelry design trends, it is hard for them to leave
\nbehind the traditional motifs for more modern designs.<\/p>\n
But then why go for that more modern style, simply because
\neverybody is doing it, if the old one is still what people want?<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/east-java-home-to-world-class-goldsmiths-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}