Local gemstone market works its magic
By Mehru Jaffer
JAKARTA (JP): It is something like entering into the fabled cave of Ali Baba where 40 thieves piled up camel loads of loot from the floor all the way up to the ceiling. But unlike the treasure cave of the Arabian Nights, no cabalistic words are required here to stand in the midst of the mounds and mounds of all that glitter and glimmer.
For the portals of Batu Aji and Batu Permata Market, a gemstone center in the traditional Rawa Bening Market in Jatinegara, East Jakarta, are forever wide open. One and all can wander around until weary, marveling not only at the precious gemstones but also at hundreds of charms and talisman that promise to bring fame and fortune to the buyer.
Of course, one knows that as a good Muslim it is a contradiction to be selling charms and mantras. But for Haj Samlawi, it is the only way he knows to earn a living. The 54- year-old Madurese came to Jakarta in 1975 and started peddling on the sidewalk the semiprecious stones and seashells that he had brought back from his home island.
"We are Muslims but our traditions date back thousands of years before Islam and it is difficult to give up what our ancestors told us is also beneficial to us," Samlawi explained.
Today the formally uneducated salesman takes orders from three kiosks owned jointly by his very businesslike wife and son, supplying gemstones and amulets by post or in person to customers around the country. No, he does not claim to have any mystical powers himself. He stocks only those goods that his customers ask for, from onyx to semiprecious stones known as batu cincin (ring stones).
Hajah Mahlamah who is also from Madura does not like to wear jewels herself but enjoys selling them to others, especially to Arab and American customers.
Her neighbor Adriansyah, 19, is a high school graduate who specializes in rolls of akar bahar, a seaweed that is said to cure rheumatism. He sits surrounded by the sun-dried private parts of crocodiles which when pickled in alcohol are a reputed aphrodisiac. Apart from bales full of synthetic gemstones in every color of the rainbow and embedded in stainless steel or brass finger rings, the young man also sells the curled-up tails of a fish that make a lethal whip for people to deal with unknown enemies.
His stall, one of 200 in the marketplace along with 100 kiosks, is also piled up with stocks of what he called blind bamboo and "ribs of mermaids".
Come the weekend and 22-year-old Iing brings out the best American diamonds he has in stock. The big buyers appear mostly on Saturdays and Sundays. For their personal adornment, the Chinese like more traditional patterns on their rings and prefer gems like the garnet or sapphires from Sri Lanka. The Arab and native Indonesian customers take home with them jewelry made from silver and studded with diamonds from America.
Before the monetary crisis, Iing recalled earning up to Rp 50,000 on a lucky day; these days he is happy when he can call it a day with as little as Rp 20,000 in his pocket.
The price of stones varies from Rp 2,000 for a multicolored agate from Kalimantan to an American diamond worth even Rp 200,000 or more. A finger nail-sized stone, the color of peacock feathers from Sukabumi, can be bought for Rp 25,000.
"By itself a stone is meaningless. It is the way it is cut and adorned which enhances its value," said Murcholik, 27, who prefers for himself the yellow-colored topaz that is rarely available in Indonesia. He is not sure whether the possession of certain stones will bring luck to people.
In The Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda, it is mentioned that faultless gems of not less than two carats when worn in contact with the skin are most beneficial for astrological purposes.
"Gems are similar to a lightning rod. They create what is in effect a protective field around the body, regulating which cosmic forces are absorbed by the body. And in time, the proper gemstones, if kept in contact with the skin, can bring about changes in the mind and body," the book says.
Moni, a young housewife and mother of two, was told by her grandmother to wear a topaz studded ring that touched her skin if she wanted to marry a good man. She wore the ring all the time until she got married nearly a decade ago but now she wears it only when she feels like it.
Her favorite stone is opal, a gem that ancient Romans ranked second only to the precious emerald. A thumbnail-sized opal which she wears as a pendant cost her about half a million rupiah.
Ann, who was too shy to give her real name, wears a yellow sapphire on her index finger as recommended by an astrologer. According to ancient beliefs, the stars in their constant movements throughout the heavens are forever emitting both positive and negative magnetic vibrations and this influences each person, both for good and for ill.
Silky, an expatriate, was asked to wear a pearl by his cousin Nirmala who is well known in India for her psychic powers.
"On my last trip home, Nirmala felt that I was restless and the pearl would calm me down," he says. Silky sees no reason to disbelieve his cousin who is constantly consulted by thousands of people around the world. He is now on the lookout for a silver ring studded with a pearl for himself.
In Ayurvedic Healing, American doctor David Frawley mentions that the organic stone pearl is good for promoting body fluids and the blood, nourishing the body tissues and the nerves.
"Pearl strengthens the female reproductive system, improves fertility and calms the emotions," Dr. Frawley wrote.
A 17-year-old salesman, asked whether he wears a gorgeous, green stone on his index finger for attracting better business, said he simply liked its look. But he said he would not mind if it also brought him luck.
It was perhaps the touch of the wrong stone that brought upon this reporter the thunderous wrath of a fellow visitor to the colorful marketplace.
"You taking photos of me? You photo me, trouble for you. I check camera... No photo, OK?" he warned, as though he stepped straight from the pages of the tales of A Thousand and One Nights.