A Banjarmasin keris

BluErf · 13th December 2008, 01:47 PM

Ok, this aint a put together - but a true-blue Banjarmasin keris. Most of the time, we see Javanese, Sumatran or Bugis kerises with Banjarmasin hilts, but seldom on the perculiar kidney shaped sampir characteristic of Banjarmasin's 'indigenous' form, if I may say that.

The keris blade itself is highly unusual. You may see it as a Bugis style blade, but I can assure you the peksi is thin and straight like a Javanese. Also, the pamor does not have the characteristic ujung gunung + kulit semangka combi found in most Bugis blades. Is that a made-in-Banjarmasin blade? I don't know, but the mix of features is certainly out of the ordinary.

The hilt has lost quite a few intan stones, and nearly half of it's gilt. However, the overall look of the keris is still pretty good. Next to the coteng keris, I'd say this is my rarest keris.

A. G. Maisey · 13th December 2008, 08:51 PM

Are the stones intan, or yakut?

Yakut would be the norm.

BluErf · 14th December 2008, 12:30 AM

Hi Alan,

That's a good question. I've always assumed the stones on the Banjar hilts were intan - non-jewellery grade diamonds with a lot of inclusions.

And though I've heard of yakut stones, nobody had explained what they really are.

And how would one tell yakut stones apart from intan? I understand both are generally clear and colourless (except for the inclusions).

Thanks.

A. G. Maisey · 14th December 2008, 01:43 AM

Yakut are rose cut rock crystal.

Many dealers will try to pass off yakut as intan, and really, the only way I know to tell the difference in a buying situation is by having seen and handled a lot of both stones.

Intan throw a very hard, often blue light. Its a hard, cutting light---if that makes any sense. They have a good brilliance, most yakut have very low brilliance, and they throw a softer, whitish light.

If you examine under, say, a 3X loupe, the edges of the facets in intan will be hard, sharp and clean and the facets will be clean and level; in yakut the edges of the facets will often be bruised, a bit rounded, showing wear.

There is a very, very big difference in value between intan and yakut. Intan are not always low grade diamonds. Intan is the old fashioned rose cut, berlian is the modern brilliant cut. Its the cut that makes the difference in name, not the quality. My wife has some very good 19th century rings set with intan, and the stones are large and without inclusions, of good brilliance, and good colour---but they are still intan, because they are rose cut.

BluErf · 14th December 2008, 02:59 AM

Thanks for sharing, Alan!

That has been more substance contained in a short post than years of hearsay.

drdavid · 14th December 2008, 05:25 AM

Hi Alan,
by rock crystal do you mean good quality clear quartz crystal. My second question is if intan is the cut not the stone, what stones would qualify as intan in the sense of intan as applied to a keris handle or sheath. You have said that rose cut rock crystal is yakut so presumably intan would have to be relatively colorless and harder than rock crystal....diamond, white sapphire and topaz would be my guesses.
regards
David

13th December 2008, 01:47 PM	#1
BluErf Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Singapore Posts: 1,180	A Banjarmasin keris Ok, this aint a put together - but a true-blue Banjarmasin keris. Most of the time, we see Javanese, Sumatran or Bugis kerises with Banjarmasin hilts, but seldom on the perculiar kidney shaped sampir characteristic of Banjarmasin's 'indigenous' form, if I may say that. The keris blade itself is highly unusual. You may see it as a Bugis style blade, but I can assure you the peksi is thin and straight like a Javanese. Also, the pamor does not have the characteristic ujung gunung + kulit semangka combi found in most Bugis blades. Is that a made-in-Banjarmasin blade? I don't know, but the mix of features is certainly out of the ordinary. The hilt has lost quite a few intan stones, and nearly half of it's gilt. However, the overall look of the keris is still pretty good. Next to the coteng keris, I'd say this is my rarest keris. Attached Images

13th December 2008, 08:51 PM	#2
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,714	Are the stones intan, or yakut? Yakut would be the norm.

14th December 2008, 12:30 AM	#3
BluErf Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Singapore Posts: 1,180	Hi Alan, That's a good question. I've always assumed the stones on the Banjar hilts were intan - non-jewellery grade diamonds with a lot of inclusions. And though I've heard of yakut stones, nobody had explained what they really are. And how would one tell yakut stones apart from intan? I understand both are generally clear and colourless (except for the inclusions). Thanks.

14th December 2008, 01:43 AM	#4
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,714	Yakut are rose cut rock crystal. Many dealers will try to pass off yakut as intan, and really, the only way I know to tell the difference in a buying situation is by having seen and handled a lot of both stones. Intan throw a very hard, often blue light. Its a hard, cutting light---if that makes any sense. They have a good brilliance, most yakut have very low brilliance, and they throw a softer, whitish light. If you examine under, say, a 3X loupe, the edges of the facets in intan will be hard, sharp and clean and the facets will be clean and level; in yakut the edges of the facets will often be bruised, a bit rounded, showing wear. There is a very, very big difference in value between intan and yakut. Intan are not always low grade diamonds. Intan is the old fashioned rose cut, berlian is the modern brilliant cut. Its the cut that makes the difference in name, not the quality. My wife has some very good 19th century rings set with intan, and the stones are large and without inclusions, of good brilliance, and good colour---but they are still intan, because they are rose cut.

14th December 2008, 02:59 AM	#5
BluErf Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Singapore Posts: 1,180	Thanks for sharing, Alan! That has been more substance contained in a short post than years of hearsay.

14th December 2008, 05:25 AM	#6
drdavid Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Australia Posts: 369	Hi Alan, by rock crystal do you mean good quality clear quartz crystal. My second question is if intan is the cut not the stone, what stones would qualify as intan in the sense of intan as applied to a keris handle or sheath. You have said that rose cut rock crystal is yakut so presumably intan would have to be relatively colorless and harder than rock crystal....diamond, white sapphire and topaz would be my guesses. regards David