Badea Abu Al-Najja Saudi Gazette MAKKAH – Sales of gemstones in Makkah have risen recently as more avid collectors of precious and semi-precious stones have started buying in large quantities. The valuable stores are popular with men who decorate their rings, watches and sometimes prayer rosaries with the stones. Saudi Gazette asked gemstone salesman Muhammad Shawqi about price trends. He said some types can cost thousands of riyals while others cost considerably less, demanding on supply and demand. The cheapest stones cost SR50 a piece. “The habit of possessing such stones dates back to ancient Arab history,” said Shawqi. Only a few places in Makkah, Taif and Jeddah sell gemstones. Most of them are businesses that have been passed down from one generation to the next. A visit to any precious stone shop will show that there are several types of stones. “Emerald, ruby, sapphire, agate, topaz, amber, and ivory are a few of the common types. Amber is the most expensive gemstone and it is extracted from certain trees in Poland and Germany,” he added. Shawqi said he sells more rings than rosaries every day because the majority of customers like to wear rings decorated with precious and semi-precious stones. Most of his customers are Algerians, Moroccans, and Gulf Cooperation Council residents. Talal Mahboob, a citizen, collects gemstones for his rings, a passion he said was passed down to him form his father. “I don't mind paying a lot of money for precious stones in different colors. Frankly, I set aside SR100,000 every year to buy gem-studded rosaries and rings. It's a matter of prestige for me,” he said candidly.
