Gem Notes
Learn the stone before you buy it
Straight answers on identifying, pricing, choosing and caring for natural gemstones — written for buyers in Pakistan, with the Urdu names you already know.
Price guide · Amethyst (jamunia) Jamunia Prices in Pakistan: How Amethyst Is Really Valued
Amethyst, which most people here call jamunia (you will sometimes hear katela too), is one of the easiest gemstones to live with. It is purp…
Read
A practical yashab guide from our Karachi counter Wearing Jade (Yashab): Which Hand, Which Finger, Which Metal
People come to us asking about yashab in all sorts of shapes: a plain green cabochon for a ring, a bangle for a daughter, a carved pendant…
Read
Black, crystal and boulder opal, and how to avoid paying for a label Buying Australian Opal From Pakistan: What to Look For
Hardly a week goes by without someone asking us for "Australian opal". Astrologers often name it when they prescribe opal for Venus, and mos…
Read
Price guide · Green agate (sabz aqeeq) Green Agate Prices in Pakistan: What Your Money Actually Buys
Sabz aqeeq, green agate, is one of the cheapest natural stones you can buy in Pakistan, and one of the most popular for men's silver rings a…
Read
From Katlang pink to London blue, what you are actually paying for Topaz Price in Pakistan: Colour, Treatment and Comparing Quotes
Few stones cover as wide a price spread as topaz. A big, clean blue topaz can cost less than a small natural pink from Katlang. A "golden to…
Read
How to compare aqeeq quotes fairly Aqeeq Price in Pakistan: Reading Carnelian Rates Per Carat and Per Ratti
Walk down any stone market and ask the price of an aqeeq at three counters. The first man gives you a rate per ratti, the second names a fig…
Read
Buying guide How to Choose a Loose Moti: A Pearl Buying Guide for Pakistan
You cannot judge a pearl the way you judge a cut stone. There are no facets, hardness tells you little, and the two qualities that count mos…
Read
Real or fake Is Your Chandrakant Real? Telling Moonstone From Its Fakes
Walk through any gem bazaar in Pakistan and you will find moonstone on sale, often under the name chandrakant. A good share of it is not moo…
Read
What decides the price of yashab Jade (Yashab) Price in Pakistan: Nephrite, Jadeite and Fair Per-Ratti Rates
Few stones have a price range as wide as jade. One word, yashab, covers a plain green ring stone you could buy on a whim and translucent jad…
Read
Buying guide How to Choose Tiger Eye (Chashm-e-Babri): A Buyer's Guide
Tiger eye, which most people here call chashm-e-babri, is one of the easiest stones to fall for and one of the easiest to pick badly. Nearly…
Read
Price guide Blue Topaz Prices in Pakistan: How Shade, Clarity, Cut and Size Add Up
Blue topaz is one of the few gems where someone in Pakistan can buy a clean, bright, nicely cut stone of a good size without blowing the bud…
Read
Price guide Red Agate (Surkh Aqeeq) Prices in Pakistan: Is Your Quote Fair?
Red agate is one of the cheapest natural stones you can buy in Pakistan, and oddly enough that is what makes its pricing so confusing. When…
Read
Pukhraj buying guide Buying Pukhraj: A Step-by-Step Yellow Sapphire Guide for Pakistan
Most of buying pukhraj well comes down to doing things in the right order. Decide the purpose and the weight first, then judge the colour, t…
Read
