A ring stone earns its keep by surviving ordinary days: keys in the same pocket, a steering wheel, a sink full of dishes. Sulemani agate, at 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale, handles that kind of life better than most stones in its price bracket. What it dislikes is a hard knock on a tiled floor, so if your hands do rough work a pendant is kinder.

This particular piece is a natural Sulemani aqeeq of 14.40 carats. Its banding is the feature you are buying, and it is fair to know that the bands in this stone family are sometimes dyed to sharpen them. Ask us what we know about this one on WhatsApp, quoting AG-SU-0015, and we will answer honestly.

The size is generous, a good match for a ring with a broad face.

Looking after it takes a minute. Lukewarm water, a drop of mild soap and a soft toothbrush, then pat it dry. Keep ultrasonic machines and strong chemicals away, and wrap it in cloth so diamonds or sapphires in the same drawer cannot mark it. Similar stones are waiting in Sulemani agate.

Open the parcel in front of the rider and pay only when you are happy; delivery is usually 1 to 2 working days in Karachi and 2 to 4 in other major cities, and you have 7 days to return it unused. For a fuller picture, read our sulemani agate guide.

This particular stone

This listing is one natural sulemani agate with a weight of 14.4 Carat. Its price is Rs. 3,240 — roughly Rs. 225 for each carat. Treatment: treatment not tested. Quote reference AG-SU-0015 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.

Above twelve carats you are into collector territory. Pieces this heavy are usually set as pendants or kept loose, and they are prized for the size of rough they came from. If you do set it, choose a bezel or a heavy claw to protect the edges.

On the Mohs scale sulemani agate rates 6.5 to 7. That is middle-of-the-road hardness: comfortable in pendants and earrings, and in rings worn with some care. Store it apart from harder stones so it does not pick up scratches, and wipe it with a damp cloth rather than scrubbing.

Whoever you buy sulemani agate 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 sulemani agate 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): Sulemani agate is sometimes dyed to sharpen its banding. 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.