Gemstones have power, collector says<\/p>\n
By Ida Indawati Khouw<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The small Antique Stone store in Pondok Indah
\nshopping mall, South Jakarta, is almost hidden by the restaurants
\nand cafes on the second floor.<\/p>\n
If you look into the store, you won't find anything special,
\njust stones scattered among paintings, birds in cages and pieces
\nof paper. Besides, these items are not even arranged properly but
\njust lying around, giving the place a messy appearance.<\/p>\n
Only a small number of people seem to patronize the store,
\nwhich offers precious stones that even date back to millions of
\nyears.<\/p>\n
"It's true. Only selected people come here," said the Antique
\nStone store owner Djunaidy Handoko, himself a gemstone collector.<\/p>\n
Only stone collectors are aware that Djunaidy's collections
\nare unique, even to geologists or paleontologists.<\/p>\n
"I mostly collect wood and coral fossils, which have developed
\ncertain shapes and images over the million of years," he said.<\/p>\n
People will be surprised to see that what he refers to as
\n"wood", no longer resembles one.<\/p>\n
Djunaidy's collection of stones, with the biggest weighing in
\nat 500 kilograms, are certainly astonishing as they have been
\nincredibly crafted by nature. They are all a blend of images and
\nrich colors. The images in the stones include flowers, stars, the
\ncross, dots, monkeys and dogs.<\/p>\n
A lot of material is lost when Djunaidy shapes the gemstones
\nand it is a long and laborious task.<\/p>\n
However, his pride among his collection are several small
\nstones which have the Arabic words "Allah" and "Muhammad" in
\nthem.<\/p>\n
"They (the words) were already in the stones before I cut
\nthem. I didn't even notice them as I have not studied Arabic. I
\nonly realized it after my colleague pointed it out to me," said
\nthe 54-year-old man.<\/p>\n
Another pride from his collection is the 120 kg wood fossil
\nwith a cross on its top and bottom, and an image of a man reading
\nthe Koran.<\/p>\n
However, Djunaidy had a hard time remembering how much he sold
\nhis stones for.<\/p>\n
"I don't remember their prices as I sold them according to my
\nfeeling. If my heart tells me to sell the stones at a low price,
\nI'll do it, even if their actually cost more," he said.<\/p>\n
Father's legacy<\/p>\n
Djunaidy continued his late father, Thio Tjan Liang, hobby in
\ncollecting stones. He began collecting fossils since he was young
\nbut only started paying serious attention to them at 25.<\/p>\n
Since then he has made stone collection his business. The
\nstones have earned him enough money to put his two children
\nthrough school, one of whom has a masters degree in computer
\nscience.<\/p>\n
He opened his first store in 1985 at the resort area of
\nCimacan in West Java before he moved it to Glodok Plaza business
\ncenter in Kota six years later. A year later, Djunaidy moved his
\nstore to Pondok Indah Mall simply because his instinct told him
\nso.<\/p>\n
Some of his stones, which he mostly keeps at home, have been
\nexhibited in several countries including Japan and Singapore.<\/p>\n
"I have also spent lots of money on stones that have no value.<\/p>\n
I was fooled by people. This encouraged me to search for
\nstones in mountains, rivers and jungles on my own. This venture
\nis thrilling but it can be very risky. It takes time, money and
\nenergy. I feel its a gift from God."<\/p>\n
During his search for fossils -- which are mostly found in
\nsedimentary rock formation in Java, Sumatra, Kalimantan and other
\nsmaller islands -- Djunaidy discovered that Indonesia has a rich
\nheritage of fossils. The equatorial climate has made Indonesia an
\nideal place for coral to grow.<\/p>\n
His collection has been recognized by Bandung-based Geological
\nResearch and Development Center of the Ministry of Energy and
\nMineral Resources.<\/p>\n
The ministry's certificate states that Djunaidy's collection
\n"is distinct from those of the common collectors. His collection
\nconsists almost entirely of silicified coral and wood fossils,
\nwhich are cut and polished into unique pieces of gemstone".<\/p>\n
Djunaidy believes that all gemstones have power as they were
\nformed by natural forces.<\/p>\n
He claimed the power of the gemstone has helped his wife, Tan
\nSiong Ngo, recover when she suffered a stroke six years ago.<\/p>\n
"Her doctor said she would not live long, but she has survived
\nuntil now," he said, looking at his wife who was with him during
\nthe interview sitting on a wheelchair and occasionally joining
\nthe conversation.<\/p>\n
He said he had no idea which stone had healing powers. "The
\ndoctor called me a stone shaman," he added.<\/p>\n
Djunaidy also believes that his stones has made him stronger
\nas he sleeps on them every day. "By sleeping on them, I feel
\nhealthy."<\/p>\n
Djunaidy is willing to donate some of his gemstones to museums
\nand research centers around the world to allow more research to
\nbe conducted on the stones' powers.<\/p>\n
"I hope people all over the world can benefit from them," he
\nsaid.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/gemstones-have-power-collector-says-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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