In this article
- The ten-point checklist
- Step 1: Be clear about the purpose
- Step 2: Judge quality the way coloured-stone dealers do
- Step 3: Always ask about treatment
- Step 4: Check the price makes sense
- Step 5: Read certificates and reports carefully
- Step 6: Check how the seller does business
- Mistakes buyers make most often
- Ready to choose a stone?
GemStore team — written by the people who list and pack every stone.
Reviewed on
Short answer: decide what the stone is for, judge it mainly on colour (then clarity, cut and weight), ask directly about treatment, compare the price per carat with stones of similar quality, get a certificate or laboratory report for valuable stones, and buy from a seller who lets you inspect the stone and offers a written return policy. Most bad purchases in Pakistan – glass sold as neelam, a famous origin that turns out to be a guess, a heavily filled emerald – come from skipping one of those steps.
This guide takes you through each step in order, with checklists you can use whether you buy from GemStore or anywhere else.
The ten-point checklist
- Know why you are buying: jewellery, astrology, a gift or a collection.
- Look at the stone in daylight, not only under shop spotlights.
- Judge colour first: hue, tone and saturation.
- Accept natural inclusions; distrust "flawless" at a low price.
- Check the cut for dead or see-through areas.
- Work out the price per carat (price divided by carat weight).
- Ask what treatment the stone has had, and get the answer in writing.
- For valuable stones, ask for a certificate or an independent laboratory report.
- Treat origin claims without a laboratory report as marketing.
- Read the seller's return, delivery and payment terms before you pay.
Step 1: Be clear about the purpose
"Quality" means different things depending on how the stone will be used.
| Purpose | What matters most | Good choices |
|---|---|---|
| Everyday jewellery | Colour, cut and durability | Sapphire, ruby, topaz, aquamarine, garnet in rings; opal, pearl and emerald are happier in pendants or for occasional wear |
| Astrological wear | A natural, ideally untreated stone that can touch the skin, in the weight an astrologer suggests | See gemstones by rashi |
| Collecting or long-term holding | Rarity, documented treatment status and origin | Only stones with independent laboratory reports |
| A gift | Meaning, colour and a sensible budget | See our month-by-month birthstone list |
Step 2: Judge quality the way coloured-stone dealers do
The "four Cs" come from diamond grading, but for coloured gems the weighting is different: colour dominates.
Colour
- Hue – the basic colour and any secondary tint (for example, slightly violet-blue or greenish blue).
- Tone – how light or dark. Medium to medium-dark usually looks best; very dark stones look black indoors, very light ones look washed out.
- Saturation – how intense and pure. This is where the biggest price differences lie: a vivid stone can cost many times more than a greyish one of the same size.
Always look in daylight or under a daylight-balanced lamp as well. Strong spotlights flatter nearly every stone.
Clarity
Natural stones grow with tiny crystals, needles, healed fractures and colour bands inside them. A few that do not distract the eye are normal, and they are good evidence that a stone is natural. Emerald, in particular, is expected to show inclusions; a perfectly clean emerald at a modest price is very likely synthetic. See how to identify a natural emerald. What you should avoid are fractures that reach the surface or inclusions that make the stone look cloudy.
Cut
A good cut spreads light and colour evenly across the stone. Two faults to look for: a window, a pale see-through area in the middle caused by a shallow cut, and extinction, dark patches from a cut that is too deep. Many coloured stones are cut to keep as much weight as possible, so a slightly smaller, well-proportioned stone is often the better buy.
Carat weight
Coloured stones are priced per carat, and the per-carat rate generally rises with size because big, clean crystals are rarer. One 4-carat stone usually costs much more than two 2-carat stones of the same quality. Choose the size you actually need: the minimum your astrologer suggests, or what looks balanced in the setting.
Step 3: Always ask about treatment
Many gemstones are treated. That is not fraud when it is disclosed; it becomes a problem when it is hidden.
| Treatment | Commonly used on | What to think |
|---|---|---|
| Heating | Sapphire, ruby, aquamarine, tanzanite, citrine | Standard and permanent; acceptable when disclosed. Unheated stones with a report cost more. |
| Oil or resin filling | Emerald | Light oiling is traditional; heavy resin filling should be clearly disclosed and priced lower. |
| Lead-glass filling | Low-grade ruby and sapphire | A different, far cheaper product. Not suitable for astrological wear. |
| Diffusion | Sapphire | Changes colour; must be disclosed and priced accordingly. |
| Dyeing | Agate, lapis, jade, turquoise, quartz | Acceptable only when disclosed and priced as dyed material. |
| Irradiation | Blue topaz | Standard for most blue topaz and stable. |
| Stabilisation | Turquoise | Common for porous turquoise; should be disclosed. |
GemStore discloses treatments that are normal for a gem, such as heating of ruby and sapphire or oiling of emerald, when they are known. If a seller cannot say whether a stone is treated, assume you are not getting the full picture.
Step 4: Check the price makes sense
Work out the price per carat: divide the price by the carat weight. Then compare it with stones of similar quality and size, remembering that prices move with quality, size, supply and the exchange rate. Each listing shows the price of that individual stone. Some of the most-searched stones:
- Blue sapphire (neelam) and yellow sapphire (pukhraj)
- Ruby (yaqoot) and emerald (zamurd / panna)
- Opal, aquamarine (beruj) and peridot (zabarjad)
- Amethyst (jamunia), turquoise (feroza) and agate (aqeeq)
Two rules of thumb. If a price is far below the going rate for the quality claimed, the stone is probably synthetic, glass or heavily treated. If it is far above, you may be paying for a name or a story rather than the stone. Our Urdu and English gemstone names page helps when sellers use different names for the same stone.
Step 5: Read certificates and reports carefully
A document is only as good as whoever issued it. GemStore provides a certificate of authenticity on request and can arrange independent laboratory testing. For any valuable stone, an independent report is worth having. When you read one, check:
- Identification – species and variety, for example "natural corundum, blue sapphire".
- Natural or synthetic – the single most important line.
- Treatment – for example "no indication of heating", "heated" or "clarity enhanced (minor)".
- Weight and measurements – these should match the stone in front of you.
- Photograph – it should show the actual stone.
Geographic origin (Sri Lanka, Kashmir, Colombia and so on) is an expert opinion that only well-equipped laboratories offer. Without a report, an origin claim is just a sales line. For more, read where sapphire comes from.
Step 6: Check how the seller does business
A seller who is confident in their stones will show clear photographs of the actual stone, answer direct questions, and put their terms in writing. At GemStore:
- Each listing is one individual stone, photographed as it is and priced individually.
- We deliver to every city in Pakistan by insured, tracked courier, with a flat Rs. 500 shipping fee per order. Orders are dispatched within 1–2 working days and usually arrive within about 7 working days (see our shipping policy).
- Payment is Cash on Delivery, and you may open the parcel and inspect the stone before paying.
- You can return a stone within 7 days of delivery for a refund or exchange, provided it is unused and in its original condition and packaging (see the return and refund policy).
- Our inspection process is explained on the authenticity page.
Mistakes buyers make most often
- Buying the label. "Kashmiri neelam", "Burmese yaqoot" and "Colombian zamurd" are often used loosely. Ask for the report.
- Judging under shop lights only. Step outside or to a window.
- Paying for weight, not beauty. A heavy stone with a big window is not a bargain.
- Believing "flawless and cheap". That combination usually means synthetic or glass.
- Setting an astrological stone straight away. Confirm the choice with your astrologer first, because a set or altered stone usually cannot be returned.
For home checks that help you spot imitations, see real vs fake gemstones.
Ready to choose a stone?
Browse the full GemStore collection, or start with the stones people in Pakistan ask about most: neelam, yaqoot, zamurd and pukhraj. We deliver to Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad and everywhere else in the country. If you are unsure which stone suits your purpose or budget, message us before you order.
References
