Silver Kota Gede

Jogja is a shopper's paradise for many of Jakarta residents and visitors to Indonesia. One of its most popular areas is Kota Gede, known for being the first capital city and for – its silver. You can pretty much find anything here from the very basic necklaces, rings and earrings, to the kitsch and outlandish like silver bajaj and plated cat skull ashtrays.

Kota Gede can be pretty daunting with many stores offering identical items. Because of this, many visitors opt to hit up the big crafters like Tom's Silver and Ansor's Silver, which are sort of one-stop shopping spots. At these places you can find Buddha Statues, plates, shell and silver necklaces, serving spoons, barrettes, frames, chokers, candelabras, and a variety of statues and figurines. But keep in mind, prices tend to be a bit higher here.

Places like MD Silver don't have the variety of Tom's or Ansor's, but the prices are more affordable. And they also have a workshop where you can watch the crafters, some of whom have been working with silver for over 20 years. One fascinating bit you'll learn as you watch the silver smiths is actually the polishing process, where they use a seed called Larax, that produces a soap-like foam when rubbed on silver and polishes better than any western product I've ever seen.

Mila's Silver is a popular option for its variety and affordable prices as they often have discounts. Yas' silver, the shop of Achmed Yasir, in Jl. Tirtodipuran is another popular choice for those favoring smaller shops. At most stores you can try your hand at bargaining, but the price is usually fixed in the larger outlets.

If you have a particular design in mind, most shops in Kota Gede can create it for you. Cost and completion time depends on the amount of silver and the complexity of the design.

Some visitors to Kota Gede opt to do a bit of their own silversmithing, which can be quite good fun. These mini-workshops usually last a few hours and you learn about the process from start to finish and make your very own ring or charm. Belgian traveller's café, Via Via Café, on Jl. Prawirotaman will organize this workshop, among others. And they serve fantastic food. Be sure to stop by when you're in town.