Jakarta Gems Center in Jatinegara is Getting Busier

Along with the implementation of PPKM Level 1 in Jakarta, trading activities at the Jakarta Gems Center or Rawa Bening Market, Jatinegara, East Jakarta, start to get busy.

It can reach 200 visitors on weekends

Visitors from Greater Jakarta (Jabodetabek) and outside the region began to pack the biggest market in Indonesia that sells gemstones, heirlooms, and agate stones. Most of them were retail traders and gem enthusiasts.

According to  Ahmad Subhan, Head of Rawa Bening Market, there were only 40 people who visited the market during PPKM Level 2, but now it increased to about 150 visitors per day.

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"It can reach 200 visitors on weekends. Most of them are gem traders from outside Jakarta, such as Bali, Yogyakarta, Solo, Semarang, and others," he conveyed, Wednesday (6/1).

To enliven trading activities and increase traders' income, his party would hold the New Bacan Contest Volume 2 on June 12.

Rawa Bening Market Cooperative Head as well as Puspacakra (Craftsmen, Businessmen, Precious Stones, Gems and Various Crafts) Association Collective Leadership Coordinator Darto Caswan admitted that the market was not as crowded as before the pandemic, but now the traders, including him, have started to earn income from sales.

"Although the turnover is only around one million rupiahs, it shows a positive trend," he mentioned.

He said that online marketing helped his business to strive. Although his side could only sell crafting equipment, such as grinders, abrasives, inan powder to rub stones, ring holders for weddings, zircon, ring binding gold, silver, and so on.

So far, customers were only looking for low-quality or low-priced stones, such as zircon, obsidian, and cheap agate with the price of Rp 40,000. While not many people were looking for precious stones (locally known as batu aji) since it was considered expensive.

"Foreign and domestic tourists also visit the market just to see the stones. This is because the economy has not fully recovered. Moreover, precious stones, gemstones, and others are not necessities," he concluded.