Permata Padang Pasir (Desert Diamond)

 

(This is part of our 34 activities/places while in Saudi)

Apakah Desert Diamond?

Dikenali juga dengan nama "Permata Saudi" atau juga "Permata Qaysumah", ia merupakan batu jernih dari jenis quartz yang "agak" berharga dan dikatakan lebih baik dari permata Cubic Zirconium (permata tiruan yang dibuat di kilang yang byk dijual seperti Zyrowski (betoi ke ejaan ni), dll). Dikatakan berada di dalam keluarga batu yang sama dengan amethysts, topaz dan citrine (batu pun ada family apa.. kira usrah jugak la tu).

Penyelidikan saya setakat ini yang belum mencapai tahap kedoktoran falsafah (PHd) merumuskan yang permata padang pasir ini adalah unik kepada negara Timur Tengah sahaja, dan yang utamanya adalah di Saudi. Boleh juga dijumpai di Kuwait dan UAE, tapi dikatakan asalnya dari Saudi jugak yang dihanyutkan ke sana beberapa billion minggu yang lalu.

Perbandingan kekerasan permata tulen dengan permata ini, permata tulen adalah pada kadar kekerasan 10.0 pada skala MOH, dan permata padang pasir pada 7.0 skala MOH. Dengan kekerasan ini memungkinkan ia bisa dipotong membentuk seperti permata yang sebenar.

Permata ini amat terkenal sejak dulu lagi di kalangan expat2. Ada di antara mereka yang hantar permata2 ini ke Thailand untuk dibentuk. Kenapa Thailand? Katanya di Thailand adalah pakar memotong permata dan harga servisnya pun murah. Ada juga kami dengar kawan2 expat Malaysia yang bawak balik batu2 ini dan hantar ke kedai permata untuk dipotong.

Dengan potongan dan gilapan yang betul, dengan mata kasar memang kita tak boleh nak bezakan antara yang tulen dengan yang 'khunsa'. Cuma kerana batu ni dari jenis quartz, ia lebih berat dari permata asli.

Ada juga di kalangan kedai2 di sekitar Riyadh dan Jeddah yang menjual batu2 permata ni, samada yang "raw” atau sudah dibentuk.

Pautan2 berkaitan: Desert Diamond, Diamond Hunting 1

  Bentuk batu yang dicari.. ni yang beso la, susah dah nak jumpa skrg ni.

Batu permata ni ada jugak dijual di Dirah. Pernah nampak tak?

 Tengoklah betapa cantiknya lepas dipotong dan dipolish

Macam permata betoi..

Disclamer: The pictures above are not mine.

-th

Diamond Hunting

Trip No: 1
When:  27th Feb 2009
Where:  About 130km from Riyadh 
GPS Coordinate:
Kambing Rating:
Total Trip Time: 6 hours 

I can say this is the first trip we went a bit further than around Riyadh city to get our groceries and finding things to furnish our house. At a very last minutes, my husband and I decided maybe we should go. Or else when?

We have to gather in early morning at 6:30 am. We followed group of Malaysians, 14 cars in total moving from Sri Wangi (we have Apartment Sri Wangi here in Riyadh :-)...good community). We start moving at around 7 am. On the way, the view is the normal view of brown color of the desert. Further down, when we past by a camel market, my kids start to jump excited. It was like a 2 km by your left and right side roads, you can see lorries with drums of grass' for the camel food. Then you can see groups of camel. I think maybe different groups belong to different owner. As our journey is to find ‘diamonds’ not camel..we'll go on. We make a promise to our kids that we'll go there when we have time so that can see the camel up close and personal.

Moving on, the view are not only open desert but with small hills of rock desert i can say. Well, no greens now but brown in color. Finally, we reached the spot. A very open space of desert. I'm wondering how to get the diamonds. We parked the car, then one of our colleague with excitement, telling she got a diamond. There it goes, the first diamond by the team :-). We'll be rich..haha.

My husband and I look into each others eye and smile. I think we came up to think of the same. Is it really diamond here? We don't know. Maybe it is diamond but not the grade that people are hunting for but it has it's own beauty. Even beauty is unique...it may be beauty to my eyes but not to others. Those who love this diamond beauty will surely come again.

We'll...the trip is not for hunting diamond only but it was a great picnic. Chit chatting, getting to know people...it was fun. We even had 5 types of meehoon cooked by 5 different people! Isn't it wonderful when having picnic like this. We also had barbeque even though it was overcooked :-). Need to give a clap also to the ‘fathers club’ whom trying their best to 'cook'.

My kids whom is as always having problem getting around with new friends stick together among themselves. Azim try to create his own fun by making a 'kite' out of his own jacket. As for Afiq and Kakak...they were racing to see who's faster. Aiman...most of the time likes observing. He's still not satisfied not getting much 'diamond'.

     
As the wind gets stronger, I can say it is a sandstorm already. Even the food and drinks covered and taste sand as well. That's when we decided it is time to go back. I even lost one of my contact lens due to the sand gets in my eyes and I rub it as it was hurting. Next time, I need to remember wearing sunglasses. Before going back, we make a few rounds to see the desert beauty. Thanks to everyone for the warm friendship. Now we need to rush back for Friday prayer.

As for my diamond, m precious diamond is always in my heart. ..close to me always and never fade.

Meet again on our next trip, insyaAllah. Ma’assalamah.