Stone me: This precious stone exhibition visitor is in his element and dressed to impress wearing an astonishing array of jewelry.

Rubies from Tanzania, Yemeni red coral, blue black sapphires from Sri Lanka and Achenese nephrite laden on dozens of tables turned Tabanan'€™s I Ketut Maria Hall into an Aladdin'€™s cave last week.

Organizers of the inaugural National Agate and Precious Stone Exchange and Exhibition say they were as staggered by the quality and volume of stones as by the extraordinary numbers of people visiting the three-day show.

'€œWe are really, really amazed. We never expected a response like this. We have 67 exhibitors from across Indonesia and thousands of people have come to the show,'€ said organizing committee head, Putu Giri. The 35-year-old from Tabanan said that from day one of the exhibition people had flowed through the doors in their hundreds.

'€œFrom early morning until late at night the hall has been packed '€” all day and all night people kept crowding the hall,'€ said Giri, adding that the huge numbers of people interested in semiprecious and precious gems was a fillip for Tabanan'€™s creative industries economy. Tabanan regency administration heavily supported the exhibition with funding and the venue.

'€œThis is the largest gem show in Bali, and I think the busiest ever. Currently, semiprecious stones such as agate are trend setters. It started with agate, and now everyone wants to wear agate and other stones. I feel semiprecious stones are setting trends because besides their beauty, they are also believed to bring luck to the wearer,'€ said Giri.

From Aceh with love: Yasar Boy travels the country promoting the nephrite and serpentine stones of Aceh.

Traveling all the way from Aceh to promote that province'€™s nephrite jade and bowenite serpentine proved a boon for Yasar Boy whose stall was swamped by visitors during the three-day event.

Passionate about the stones of Aceh, Yasar says severe natural disasters have released tons of nephrite jade and bowenite to the surface within parts of the province. '€œPrecious stones are an old industry in Aceh, but since the earthquake and tsunami of 2004 the stones have come to the surface and the industry is booming,'€ he said.

Yasar surprised his viewers by drinking water laced with Betadine. Into the infused water he had placed a piece of bowenite serpentine. '€œThis stone has such great amounts of magnesium it absorbs the poisons,'€ he explained. Yasar said Acehnese jade was also in the spotlight from NASA. '€œNASA has already agreed and wants to test our stones for space rocket heat protection,'€ said Yasar, whose claim may not be that far-fetched given bowenite has good levels of asbestos in its makeup. He points out Aceh has an astounding 142 types of jade and serpentine, including the lustrous and rare red jade.

On another stand, Hadari who journeyed from West Bali, offered Ferrari red coral from war-torn Yemen. Stunningly vibrant, the stone'€™s silky surface and homogenous color stand out from the dozens of other stones that Hadari brought to the exhibition.

'€œA friend who works in Yemen brings me the red coral,'€ explained Hadari of just how Yemeni stones have made their way to Indonesia.

Treasure hunters: Thousands flock to the precious and semi-precious stones exhibition held in Tabanan last week.

Nearby, collector Nengah Wijana of Denpasar did a brisk trade in rubies and sapphires. '€œI joined the exhibition because I am a collector. We are selling some of my collection. I am not a dealer, I just love stones,'€ said the 57-year-old who was draped in dozens of stone pendants, rings and bracelets.

What looked initially like imperial green jade was among his collection. This Burmese stone is one of the most valuable in the world and was once worn only by the emperors of China. '€œNo, that is not imperial jade,'€ said the collector. '€œIt is a cooked stone. On my stall I tell people which are real stones and which are dyed.'€

While semiprecious and precious stones are thought by some to hold spiritual or beneficial qualities, Wijana likes stones simply for their natural beauty.

'€œSome people believe stones can bring luck or improve their confidence. I see them as art, from the settings to the colors within the stones,'€ said Wijana.

The possible spiritual benefits hidden within stones attracted many priests to the exhibition, but for Mangku Dalam Sims the price tag on his favored stone placed it out of reach.

'€œI am just here to look. Stones, I believe can help heal the soul, and the stone I would like is a Krishna Dana, but its US$1,000, so I won'€™t be buying,'€ said the elderly priest from Tabanan.

But purchasing some self-confidence buried in the heart of semiprecious stones need not break the bank. Putu Arja spent less than $50 on an African tiger-fur ring and was delighted. '€œI like this stone because it'€™s classic and is meant to improve self-confidence, which I need. This ring would have cost double anywhere else, so the exhibition is a great place to find stones,'€ said the 30-year-old from Tabanan. His friend Made Alit agreed. His purchase of a water stone ring he hoped would lower his stress levels.

'€œThis stone improves auras and cool emotions. I believe that stones have this power because they are from nature. I teach teenagers, so my life has a lot of stress. I hope this stone helps,'€ said Alit, heading home from an exhibition that brought the world of precious stones, their magic and their beauty, to Bali.

One in every color: This stones trader presents a world of color during the precious and semi-precious stones exhibition in Tabanan last week.

'€” Images JB Djwan