Moonstone (Chandrakant) Price in Pakistan: What the Glow Is Worth

Moonstone, chandrakant or chandramani to most of our customers, is one of the friendlier gems on the budget, and that is a big part of its charm. It is also a stone where price and quality can part ways quickly. The thing everybody is paying for, that soft glow sliding over the surface, is hard to judge in a photograph and very easy to oversell in a description.

Here we walk through what really decides a moonstone's price: the colour and strength of the glow first, then clarity, cut and size. We explain how per-ratti quotes work, show the spread from our own listings, and finish with a simple routine for comparing two sellers. Every stone in our moonstone collection is listed on its own, with its own photo and weight.

Moonstone prices in our current stock

The table below is drawn from the moonstones we have listed right now. It gives the lowest, typical and highest figure per stone, and the same spread per carat and per ratti.

Moonstone · October 2026 edition · PKR, from Authentic Gems listings. 1 ratti = 0.91 carat.

Weight	Weights	Stones	Per carat	Per ratti
3 – 6 carat	4.1 – 5.8 ct	12	Rs 650 – Rs 800	Rs 600 – Rs 750
6 – 10 carat	6.1 – 9.7 ct	13	Rs 480 – Rs 750	Rs 440 – Rs 700
Over 10 carat	10.7 – 32.0 ct	7	Rs 600 – Rs 700	Rs 550 – Rs 650

Treat it as a sanity check on any quote you are given. Where a particular stone falls within that spread comes down to the points below. For other gems, see our gemstone price guide.

Sheen is the whole story, almost

The light that drifts across a moonstone as you tilt it has a name: adularescence. It comes from very thin, alternating layers of two feldspar minerals inside the stone, which scatter the light back at you. More than anything else, the quality of that glow sets the price.

• Colour of the glow. Blue sheen is the one everyone wants, and it costs the most. White or silvery sheen is far more common and easier on the pocket.
• Strength. If you can see the glow at arm's length, the stone is worth much more than one where you have to hunt for it under a lamp.
• Coverage. In the best stones the light rolls across the whole dome. Plenty of stones only light up in one patch.
• Position. A skilled cutter puts the sheen in the middle of the dome when you look at the stone face up. If it sits off to one side, the stone is worth less.

Ask any seller for a short video of the stone being rocked under one light. A still photo can make a weak glow look strong, or miss a good one altogether. We send these on WhatsApp for any stone you are interested in.

Body colour and transparency

Behind the glow sits the colour of the stone itself. A near-colourless, see-through body with blue sheen is the classic fine moonstone and sits at the top of the range. Milky white, grey, peach and brownish bodies are more common and more affordable, and many people actually prefer their warmer, softer look.

Transparency counts too. In a clear stone the sheen seems to float somewhere inside. In a cloudy or opaque one the glow stays on the surface, and the price usually reflects that.

Rainbow moonstone

What the trade sells as rainbow moonstone shows blue and multicoloured flashes on a white body. Strictly speaking, most of it is a pale labradorite rather than classic moonstone. It is a lovely material and fair to sell under its trade name, but it is priced on its own terms. If strong colour flashes are what you like, have a look at our labradorite as well.

Clarity: needles, cracks and cleavage

Nearly every moonstone has some small inclusions. Fine, needle-like ones, often called centipedes because of their shape, are normal and do not bother most buyers. The price drops when inclusions reach the surface, cloud the stone or sit in the way of the sheen.

Moonstone also has cleavage, which means a hard knock can split it along a flat plane. Look for straight internal cracks running out to the surface. They lower the price and make the stone a riskier choice for a ring.

Cut and shape

Almost all moonstone is cut as a cabochon, because a smooth dome shows the sheen at its best. Faceted moonstone exists, but you will not see much of it.

• A taller, nicely rounded dome usually gives a stronger, more central glow.
• A flat or shallow stone can look bigger face up but often has a weaker sheen.
• Ovals and rounds are standard; unusual shapes are priced on how much buyers like them.
• A clean, polished base and an even outline make setting easier.

Size

Small moonstones are everywhere, so the price per ratti stays fairly flat at low weights. It climbs for larger stones that hold on to a strong, central blue sheen and good transparency, because those are genuinely scarce. A big stone with a weak glow does not earn the same premium. Our 14.75 carat chandrakant and 10.65 carat chandrakant give you a feel for two sizes side by side.

Origin and treatment

Fine blue-sheen moonstone has long been linked with Sri Lanka, and peach and grey material with India, among other sources. A country name can add a premium, but with moonstone the stone in front of you matters more than its label. Judge the sheen and the clarity first.

Treatment is uncommon, though some stones are coated or given a backing to push up the glow, and dyed stones and glass copies are around. Opalite, a man-made glass, is often sold as moonstone. It glows evenly in blue and orange from every angle and has none of the floating sheen. Our upcoming guide to real and fake moonstone goes into this.

Two similar stones, two different prices

Put two white-bodied moonstones of the same weight next to each other on the counter and they can look almost identical. Now turn them under a single bulb. One gives a faint glow near the edge; the other throws a bright blue sheen that slides across the centre of the dome. The second is rarer and should cost more. Cutting widens the gap, because orienting the rough to centre the sheen wastes material, and a cutter who gets it right charges for that loss. If a quote seems high, ask the seller to show you exactly where the sheen sits and how far it travels.

Per carat or per ratti: reading the quote

In most Pakistani bazaars moonstone is quoted per ratti. The standard gemstone ratti is 0.91 carat, about 0.182 grams. Some jewellers use the smaller sunari ratti, about 0.1215 grams or roughly 0.61 carat. A 9.1 carat moonstone is 10 standard ratti but close to 15 sunari ratti, so the same rate can give two very different totals. Ask which ratti the seller means and check it with our carat to ratti converter.

For bigger moonstones some dealers give a price for the piece rather than per ratti. That is fine, as long as you have the exact weight and can work the rate out yourself.

Comparing two moonstone quotes

1. Ask for a tilting video under one light so you can judge the sheen.
2. Confirm the body colour. Colourless, white, grey and peach all sit at different prices.
3. Get the exact weight in carats and agree which ratti is in use.
4. Find out whether it is classic or rainbow moonstone.
5. Ask about cracks that reach the surface, especially for a ring stone.
6. Price the stone on its own, separate from any ring or setting.
7. Check the return terms. A small saving is not worth a stone you cannot send back.

Browsing by budget

The shop filters let you look by price band:

• the entry band: white-sheen and milky stones, plus smaller blue-sheen pieces. A sensible place to start with a first moonstone.
• the second band: larger stones, clearer bodies and a stronger glow.
• the third band: clean stones with strong blue sheen in practical ring sizes.
• the top band: the finest blue-sheen stones in bigger sizes, when we have them.

Our guide to natural gemstones on a small budget lists other affordable options too.

Protecting what you paid for

Moonstone sits around 6 to 6.5 on the Mohs scale and has cleavage, so it scratches and chips more easily than quartz. A scratched dome loses its glow, and with it some of its value. A bezel setting, taking the ring off for heavy work and storing it on its own all help. Our moonstone care guide has the details.

How you will wear it changes what to pay for

For a daily ring you want a crack-free stone, a reasonably high dome to protect the sheen and a size that sits comfortably. Those qualities are worth more of your money than extra carats. A pendant or earrings take far less punishment, so a softer-looking stone with a few inclusions can be a sensible saving there. Beads for a bracelet or tasbih are priced by the strand, and matching the sheen across every bead pushes the cost up.

If you are buying for traditional reasons, such as moonstone's link with the Moon in Vedic astrology or with Cancer rashi, your astrologer may give you a weight. In that case, go for the best sheen you can afford at that weight rather than a bigger stone with a weaker glow. Cancer gemstones has the background.

Mistakes we see buyers make

• Paying for size alone. A big, milky stone with little sheen is not a better buy than a smaller, clear one with a strong blue glow.
• Trusting one photo. Sheen is easy to fake with lighting and just as easy to miss in a flat shot.
• Mixing up the names. Classic moonstone, rainbow moonstone and opalite are three different things at three different prices.
• Ignoring cracks. A crack that reaches the surface of a ring stone can open further with knocks.

Our upcoming moonstone buying guide goes further into choosing the right stone.

Buying moonstone from Authentic Gems

Each moonstone we list has its own photo, weight and price. We confirm your order by phone or WhatsApp and dispatch within one working day by insured, tracked courier. Karachi orders usually arrive in 1 to 2 working days, from DHA and Clifton to Gulshan-e-Iqbal and North Nazimabad. Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi and the other big cities usually take 2 to 4, and smaller towns up to about 7. Delivery is a flat Rs. 500 per order. Pay Cash on Delivery: open the parcel in front of the rider, look at the stone, then pay. Unused stones can be returned within 7 days. If you would like a tilting video of any stone first, message us on WhatsApp.

Shop the stones: moonstone.

The beliefs mentioned here are traditions, shared for interest. They are not promised results, religious rulings or medical advice.