Before colour, before carat weight, a careful sapphire buyer asks one thing: has it been heated? Most blue sapphire in the trade is heated to deepen and clear the colour, and the few stones that are not heated cost more. Neither is a defect, but you should know which you are paying for.

This 3.50 carat neelam is listed with Kashmir as its origin. For its treatment history, the honest answer is to ask us directly. Message us on WhatsApp with reference AG-000885 and we will tell you what we know. If you want a written opinion, independent lab testing is your decision.

Here is what we can state plainly. The stone weighs 3.5 carats and rates 9 on the Mohs scale, so it sits comfortably in a ring and will not scratch in ordinary use. It is a natural blue sapphire, sold loose, so you can choose your own metal and setting.

When the parcel arrives you open it and look at the stone in daylight before paying, which takes the guesswork out of buying online.

Browse similar blue stones in our neelam range, or read how to tell real stones from fakes before you decide.

Delivery is Cash on Delivery to any address in Pakistan: about 1–2 working days in Karachi and 2–4 in other cities, with 7 days to return the stone if it is unused.

This particular stone

This listing is one natural sapphire, known in Urdu as Neelam, with a weight of 3.5 Carat. Its price is Rs. 14,250 — roughly Rs. 4,071 for each carat. Origin: Kashmir. Treatment: treatment not tested. Quote reference AG-000885 when you message us about it. The photographs show this exact stone, so what arrives at your door is the piece you chose on screen.

Between two and six carats is the range most people choose for a gents' ring or a noticeable pendant. Here colour drives the price more than size does, which is why two stones of near-identical weight can be priced very differently.

On the Mohs scale sapphire rates 9. Few materials will scratch it, so it copes well with everyday ring wear. A soak in warm water with a drop of mild soap and a soft brush keeps it bright; skip the ultrasonic cleaner if inclusions reach the surface.

Whoever you buy sapphire from, make sure of three things: the stone is natural rather than lab-grown, glass or glass-filled; any treatment is stated in writing; and the weight quoted is the weight of the finished stone. We check every sapphire for those three points before it is listed, and because you pay on delivery you can look at the stone — or have it tested — before any money changes hands.

We sell natural stones only and inspect each one before it is listed. Treatment for this stone: Treatment not tested. No lab report yet; independent testing welcome. As general background (not a statement about this stone): Most sapphire on the market is heated to improve colour and clarity; unheated stones exist and cost more. Ask us on WhatsApp and we will tell you what we know about this exact stone; independent lab testing is available on request.

A certificate of authenticity is available on request for this stone, and independent laboratory testing can be arranged. Because you pay on delivery, you can also take the stone to a lab of your choice within the 7-day return window. Read more on our authenticity page.