A Banjarmasin keris

Alam Shah · 18th December 2008, 09:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BluErf

..

maybe it is because of a great keris that I "sacrificed" recently that brought these other rare kerises to me...

Perhaps that's it.. However, I've seen, held and inspected your "sacrificed" piece.. a great sacrifice indeed..

. I'm glad it went to a friend, so that I can perform a yearly visit to see and drool on it.

Beautiful craftsmanship by a master craftsman.

mykeris · 18th December 2008, 10:38 PM

Hi, Alan , agreed with you. Most Banjarmasin hilts were decorated with Yakut stones and not Intan unless redressed. I have a few so called old intan hilts but proven as non-intan when identified using a diamond tester. All these Yakut stones are actually soft with measurement of 4 to 5 on diamond scale. Intan or Diamond shares the same hardness that is more than 9. Bluerf, pls get your intan hilts tested for assurance!

David · 19th December 2008, 01:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mykeris

All these Yakut stones are actually soft with measurement of 4 to 5 on diamond scale.

Well, if Yakut=rock crystal=quartz crystal it should read 7 on the Mohs scale (i assume that this is what you mean by diamond scale. Mohs is the standard scale for mineral hardness). Flourite would be a 4, apatite is 5. Both these stones are perhaps too soft for this purpose.

BluErf · 19th December 2008, 01:44 PM

Well, if intan refers to rose-cut diamonds, which are not low grade, I don't really need to test my hilt, coz for the price I paid, they can't be diamonds, or someone some where has lost a big bundle selling the keris!

I'm pretty happy going with the idea that the stones are yakut. I still love the keris!

A. G. Maisey · 19th December 2008, 08:51 PM

Not necessarily low grade, Kai Wee.

They might be of incredibly low grade; they might also be perfect blue whites.

But with the rose cut, they become "intan".

tunggulametung · 20th December 2008, 11:59 PM

BluErf, thank you for sharing the picture of the peksi and all for some knowledge here. I have a short memory but I guess I saw the keris twin on Krisses a Critical Biography book the other day. Short of cash and have to spent the rest on chicklit bestseller series so maybe next time I get that tiny book

.

BluErf · 25th December 2008, 02:24 AM

Hi Alan,

Ok, got it. It's the cut and base material, not the quality.

Hi Tunggulametung,

That one's a prince! Mine's maybe a middleclass farmer...

18th December 2008, 10:38 PM	#2
mykeris Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 278	Hi, Alan , agreed with you. Most Banjarmasin hilts were decorated with Yakut stones and not Intan unless redressed. I have a few so called old intan hilts but proven as non-intan when identified using a diamond tester. All these Yakut stones are actually soft with measurement of 4 to 5 on diamond scale. Intan or Diamond shares the same hardness that is more than 9. Bluerf, pls get your intan hilts tested for assurance!

19th December 2008, 01:44 PM	#4
BluErf Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Singapore Posts: 1,180	Well, if intan refers to rose-cut diamonds, which are not low grade, I don't really need to test my hilt, coz for the price I paid, they can't be diamonds, or someone some where has lost a big bundle selling the keris! I'm pretty happy going with the idea that the stones are yakut. I still love the keris!

19th December 2008, 08:51 PM	#5
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7,060	Not necessarily low grade, Kai Wee. They might be of incredibly low grade; they might also be perfect blue whites. But with the rose cut, they become "intan".

20th December 2008, 11:59 PM	#6
tunggulametung Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 238	BluErf, thank you for sharing the picture of the peksi and all for some knowledge here. I have a short memory but I guess I saw the keris twin on Krisses a Critical Biography book the other day. Short of cash and have to spent the rest on chicklit bestseller series so maybe next time I get that tiny book .

25th December 2008, 02:24 AM	#7
BluErf Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Singapore Posts: 1,180	Hi Alan, Ok, got it. It's the cut and base material, not the quality. Hi Tunggulametung, That one's a prince! Mine's maybe a middleclass farmer...