Keris from Jogjakarta

[David]

Originally Posted by Marcokeris

Gayaman wood seems old sandal wood. Stones seeem yakut indeed.

How can you tell they are yakut just from the photo? They look like they could be quartz crystal just as easily. Or is yakut just a different name for quartz. I have always understood it to refer to low quality diamonds, but when i google it (yakut gemstone) i find no reference to diamond (except on account that diamonds where once mined in Yakutia). In some places it refers to a form of sapphire. In other places it is a ruby. Both of these are corundums, not diamonds. I understand that in Turkish it simply means gemstone.
I have a feeling that very often simple quartz crystal is passed off as "yakut". Is this the same as garnet being accepted as a form of ruby in this area? Can anyone tell me exactly what they are supposed to be in Indonesia in regards to keris?