Diamond Hunter in Martapura-South Borneo

Diamond seller at Martapura.

Chrysoberyl, chrysocolla, chrysoprase, hematite, jasper, kunszite, lapis lazuli, malachite, obsidian, bacan, amethyst, and red borneo are various types of gem stones. Only the geologists who prediction the stone type, while for the some people just enjoy it. A day, i'm visit to South Kalimantan/Borneo, invited me to visit the diamond mining  of Martapura.

Map of Martapura Minung at South Kalimantan.

Cempaka a sub-district in the city of Banjarbaru which is capitalized in Martapura. Very easy to founded Cempaka, if you want to land or after take off from Syamsudin Noor Airport-Banjarmasin from the plane window looks mainland with large pools. So, that place is Cempaka which became the mine area of diamond in Martapura. Diamonds is not a forbidden area, but has been opened into a tourist destination. From Martapura is about 7 km, or 30 minutes from Banjarmasin.

Mines from plane window.

The dirt roads and sandy shorelines in some places become markers when they arrive at the site. The only visible view are the giant pools with brownish-yellow water, miners, and walled workers. These giant pools are a place to mine and weigh the rocks and precious metals. The sounds of spraying and vacuuming machines are intertwined between groups of miners with each other.

The big pools and pump machine and miners.

The abundance of underground properties is capable of transforming the landowners for their land to be mined. From the revenue sharing, landowners will get 15% share, while the rest will be shared with the owner of the machine and its miners. No doubt, new mines are opened around the old mining area that is believed to have no longer produces. The mine is expanding to keep digging the buried treasure.

Initially the field will be treasure and removed the outermost layer. Once it gets to the rock layer then the mine engines spray the rocks to mix with the water, then suck it up. Rocks that are sucked together with water are then screened in stages. The result of this filtering is gambling, whether there are stones or precious metals that are caught or not, if none then it will be repeated in the puddle.

The Miner and pans.

With a device similar to a wide pans they pierced rocks, sand, soil mixed with water. Initially they collect the sediment in the bottom of the puddle and sift it until the water out through the marker . Their eyes are so observant to observe every rock, sand, gravel, crunch to soft fragments. At first glance I see it seems all the same, the edge of the eyes of the miners they can identify which is precious which is not.

Filtering the diamond between many stones.

Smiles and happiness when there is a precious stone they find. If none of the precious stones are filtered, their wry smiles hold back by stirring the bottom of the puddle to continue searching for luck. In the minds of miners, perhaps leaving with a mediocre, coming home can be a millionaire, or go home without money.

Founded the small diamond.

On the sidelines of the miners and miners, there are women who offer merchandise. They are like hawkers, but behold they are precious stones. A wide variety of shapes, colors, types, qualities, and prices are offered to travelers visiting the cempaka mine. These merchants immediately opened a stall with a city-box jewel box.

Perhaps, if you buy a precious stones in the marketplace, the store or shopping center could have been deceived the original or not. Traders here guarantee that everything they hire is genuine from the place and the price is much cheaper than in the market. Avarege prices are from Rp 5,000 to Rp 10.000. Can imagine bringing five thousand rupiah, you can choose and bring home the precious stones we want.

Diamnond and gems seller at Cempaka mine.

I took a handful of random stones in a box with a label of Rp 10.000,00 / item. There were 12 stone seeds I took, and his mother suggested that even 13 take 3 more item. Momentarily to be wrapped, the mother inserted 3 more seeds as a bonus and for best seller, he said so. It is not wrong if you want to buy a good stone do not be in the market, but come in place of the miners.

A few moments later the noise of the cross section. They were screaming as if they had found something. Sure enough, someone just got a diamond. Curiosity about the diamond shape that he said has a high price, I was approaching. It is inconceivable that the stone as big as the end of the rice size is painstakingly sought all day while wallowing. Not long after that comes to me while showing black sand dust and yellow spots and that's gold.

Gold ore,

The heat of the blazing sun did not make these workers retreat to scratch diamonds and gold. Miners and miners remain loyal to the rocks, gravel, and sand sprinklers who have a good fortune. Indeed nobody knows where the hidden treasure is, but Martapura given the under ground there is a piece of diamond and gold.

Miners between hope and happiness.