Local gemstone market works its magic

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.