Cat's Eye Price in Pakistan: How Lehsunia Is Valued

Cat's eye is priced on two questions before any other: which mineral is it, and how good is the eye? A chrysoberyl lehsunia with a sharp, centred line of light belongs in a different price bracket from a quartz cat's eye with a faint, wide band, even when the two weigh the same and look alike in a quick photograph.

Most people in Pakistan buy lehsunia after an astrologer has named it, often with a minimum weight in ratti. That makes weight and the ratti scale matter more than they do for many stones. This guide sets out what drives the price, how to turn a ratti prescription into a sensible budget, and how to compare offers. GemStore's current cat's eye prices are in the table below, refreshed monthly from our listings.

GemStore cat's eye prices

The table is built from the cat's eye stones we list, each photographed and priced individually. It gives the lowest, typical and highest price per stone, and the same spread per carat and per ratti.

Cat Eye · October 2026 edition · PKR, from GemStore listings. 1 ratti = 0.91 carat.

Weight	Weights	Stones	Per carat	Per ratti
6 – 10 carat	7.3 – 9.8 ct	4	Rs 600 – Rs 750	Rs 550 – Rs 700
Over 10 carat	10.0 – 18.7 ct	11	Rs 450 – Rs 750	Rs 410 – Rs 700

Within our range the per-carat figure moves with the sharpness of the eye and the body colour more than with weight. Use the table to judge whether a quote you have been given is in the right area, and the monthly gemstone price guide to compare lehsunia with other stones.

Step one: which cat's eye is it?

"Cat's eye" describes an optical effect, a line of light across a domed stone. Several minerals can show it, and their prices differ greatly.

• Chrysoberyl cat's eye: the lehsunia of South Asian tradition. Hard at 8.5 on the Mohs scale, with a crisp eye. It is the most valued and the one most astrologers mean.
• Quartz cat's eye: far more common, softer at about 7, with a softer, wider eye. Much cheaper.
• Other minerals: tourmaline, apatite, scapolite and others can show an eye. They are priced as their own species.
• Fibre-optic glass: an imitation with a very regular, bright band. Worth very little.

Ask the seller to name the mineral in writing. If a stone sold as lehsunia costs a fraction of the usual figure, it is likely quartz or glass. Our grading article, Lehsunia grading: the eye, the colour and the honey tone, explains how to look at the eye itself. This post focuses on what those features cost.

What sets the price of chrysoberyl cat's eye

The eye

A thin, bright, straight line running through the centre of the dome from end to end is the top of the scale. Each fault takes the price down a step: an eye that is wide or blurred, one that sits off-centre, one that breaks into pieces, or one that only appears under a strong torch. Since the eye is the reason to buy the stone, these faults matter more than a small difference in weight.

Body colour

Honey yellow, greenish yellow and apple green are the colours traditionally favoured, and they usually command the highest prices. Olive and brownish greens are common and priced lower. Very dark stones, including the blue-black and black cat's eye often sold in Pakistan, are valued on the sharpness of their band, since the band shows clearly against the dark body.

Milk and honey

In a fine stone, a light shone from the side makes one half look milky and the other half stay honey coloured. A clear milk-and-honey effect is a sign of good material and adds to the price.

Clarity and translucency

Some translucency helps the eye glow. Large cracks or cloudy patches that break the line reduce value.

Cut

Cat's eye is always cut as a cabochon, often with a heavy base to keep the eye centred. A little extra weight underneath is normal. A very bulky base adds carats you pay for without improving the eye, so ask for a side photograph.

Weight

Price per carat rises with size for good stones, though less steeply than for ruby or sapphire. For lehsunia the weight question is usually set by an astrologer's prescription, which leads to the ratti issue below.

Per carat, per ratti and the prescription question

Lehsunia is very often quoted per ratti in Pakistan, and the two ratti scales give quite different results.

• 1 carat is 0.2 grams.
• The gemstone ratti used in Pakistan is 0.91 carat, about 0.182 grams.
• The jeweller's sunari ratti is about 0.1215 grams, roughly 0.61 carat.

So "five ratti" means about 4.55 carats on the gemstone scale but only about 3 carats on the sunari scale. Before you shop, ask the astrologer which ratti they mean, then convert to carats with our carat to ratti converter. A seller who quotes a low per-ratti rate on the sunari scale can still end up dearer than one quoting a higher rate on the gemstone scale.

In Vedic astrology cat's eye is linked with Ketu, and it is traditionally worn for protection and to settle sudden setbacks. These are beliefs, not guaranteed outcomes, and practitioners differ on weight, metal and finger. Our page on the nine planetary stones explains the tradition, and how to wear cat's eye covers the customs.

How to compare cat's eye quotes

1. Mineral named in writing. Chrysoberyl, quartz or something else.
2. Video of the eye. Ask for a short clip turning the stone under one light. The line should open and close smoothly and stay centred.
3. Exact weight in carats and the ratti scale used.
4. Side view. To check the base is not unreasonably heavy.
5. Treatment. Some cat's eye is irradiated to deepen colour, and some is dyed. Ask, and expect a lower price for treated stones.
6. Origin claim. Sri Lankan lehsunia carries a reputation, but origin is rarely provable without a lab and should not add much unless documented.
7. Returns and inspection. Being able to see the eye in your own hand before paying is worth a lot with this stone.

Why lehsunia prices differ so much between shops

Ask three dealers in the same bazaar for a five-ratti lehsunia and you may hear three very different figures. Usually they are describing three different stones. One may be quoting chrysoberyl with a sharp eye, another a quartz cat's eye, and a third a stone with a good colour but an eye that drifts to one side. The word lehsunia covers all of them in casual speech.

The ratti scale adds to the confusion. A shop that weighs on the sunari ratti will show a higher ratti count for the same stone, and a per-ratti rate that sounds modest can hide a larger total. Some sellers also quote the weight of a stone already set in a ring, which includes nothing you can check.

The fix is to reduce every offer to the same four facts: mineral, carat weight, quality of the eye in a video, and treatment. Once those match, prices tend to fall into a much narrower range, and the table above shows where GemStore's own stones sit within it.

Budget tiers by filter

• Under 5,000 rupees: mostly quartz cat's eye or small stones with a soft eye. Check the mineral before buying for astrological use.
• 5,000 to 20,000 rupees: commercial chrysoberyl with a visible eye, often in darker or olive body colours.
• 20,000 to 50,000 rupees: sharper eyes, better colours and larger sizes.
• Over 50,000 rupees: fine honey or greenish stones with a crisp eye and milk-and-honey effect. Arrange a certificate at this level.

Two of our stones show how the eye looks against different body colours: the 10.00 carat black cat's eye and the 12.10 carat black cat's eye. Compare their bands, then their positions in the table.

Signs the price is wrong

• A large stone with a perfectly straight, glassy band and a honeycomb pattern seen from the side. This is fibre-optic glass.
• "Lehsunia" at the price of quartz, or quartz at the price of chrysoberyl.
• A seller who will only quote per ratti and will not state the carat weight.
• A stone shown only in still photographs, never moving.

Our general guide to real and fake gemstones covers simple checks you can do at home.

Setting and long-term value

Chrysoberyl at 8.5 on the Mohs scale is an excellent everyday ring stone and keeps its polish for years, which helps it hold value. A closed-back silver setting is common in Pakistan; an open back lets more light in and can make the eye look livelier. Clean it with warm soapy water and a soft brush. If you plan to wear it on an astrologer's advice, settle the metal and finger before the ring is made, so the setting does not have to be redone. Planned guides on gemstone rings for men and our stone setting service help with the next step.

Buying lehsunia from GemStore

Each stone in our cat's eye collection is natural, photographed alone and priced on its own, with the mineral and any known treatment stated. A certificate is available on request, and independent testing can be arranged. Pay Cash on Delivery anywhere in Pakistan, open the parcel and check the eye before paying the rider, and return it within 7 days if it is not right. For a video of any stone, message us on WhatsApp at +92 308 887 3888.

Shop the stones: cat eye.

The beliefs described here are traditions, shared for interest. They are not guaranteed outcomes, religious rulings or medical advice.