Moonstone Price in Pakistan: Sheen, Clarity and What You Pay For

Moonstone is one of the easier gems to afford in Pakistan, which is part of its appeal. It is also one where price and quality can drift apart quickly, because the feature everyone pays for, the floating glow across the surface, is hard to judge in a photo and easy to exaggerate in a description.

This guide explains what actually moves a moonstone's price, from the colour and strength of that glow to clarity, cut and size. It shows how per-ratti quotes work, includes a price table drawn from GemStore's own listings, and ends with a simple way to compare two sellers. Our moonstone collection lists each stone, sold in Pakistan as chandrakant or chandramani, with its own photo and weight.

Moonstone prices from our listings

The table below is built from the moonstones currently listed on GemStore and is refreshed monthly. It shows the lowest, typical and highest price per stone, and the same figures per carat and per ratti.

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

Weight	Weights	Stones	Per carat	Per ratti
3 – 6 carat	4.1 – 5.8 ct	12	Rs 650 – Rs 800	Rs 600 – Rs 750
6 – 10 carat	6.1 – 9.7 ct	13	Rs 480 – Rs 750	Rs 440 – Rs 700
Over 10 carat	10.7 – 32.0 ct	7	Rs 600 – Rs 700	Rs 550 – Rs 650

Use these figures to check whether a quote is in a sensible range. A stone's place within that range depends on the factors below. For other gems, see the monthly gemstone price guide.

The sheen comes first

The glow that moves across a moonstone as you tilt it is called adularescence. It is caused by thin, alternating layers of two feldspar minerals inside the stone, which scatter light. The quality of that glow drives price more than anything else.

• Colour of the sheen. A blue glow is the most prized and costs the most. A white or silvery glow is more common and more affordable.
• Strength. A sheen you can see from arm's length is worth far more than one you have to hunt for under a lamp.
• Coverage. The best stones glow across the whole dome as they move. Many show the effect only in one patch.
• Position. A good cutter places the sheen in the centre of the dome when the stone is viewed face up. If it sits off to the side, the stone is worth less.

Ask a seller for a short video of the stone being tilted under a single light. A still photo can make a weak sheen look strong, or miss a good one altogether.

Body colour and transparency

Behind the sheen is the body colour of the stone itself. A near-colourless, transparent body with blue sheen is the classic fine moonstone and sits at the top of the range. Milky white, grey, peach and brownish bodies are more common and more affordable, and many people prefer their warmer look.

Transparency matters as well. A clear stone lets the sheen appear to float inside it. A cloudy or opaque stone shows the glow only on the surface, and usually costs less.

Rainbow moonstone

Stones sold as rainbow moonstone show blue and multicoloured flashes on a white body. Mineralogically most of this material is a pale labradorite rather than classic moonstone. It is attractive and honest to sell under its trade name, but it is priced on its own terms. If you like strong colour flashes, our labradorite collection is worth a look too.

Clarity: needles, cracks and cleavage

Most moonstone contains small inclusions. Fine needle-like inclusions, sometimes called centipedes because of their shape, are typical and do not trouble most buyers. Prices fall when inclusions break the surface, cloud the stone or get in the way of the sheen.

Moonstone also has cleavage, meaning it can split along flat planes if struck. Look for straight internal cracks that reach the surface; they lower the price and make the stone riskier to wear in a ring.

Cut and shape

Moonstone is almost always cut as a cabochon, because a smooth dome shows the sheen best. Faceted moonstone exists but is less common.

• A higher, well-rounded dome usually shows a stronger, more central sheen.
• A flat or shallow stone may look larger face up but often shows weaker glow.
• Oval and round stones are the standard; unusual shapes are priced by appeal.
• A neat, polished base and even outline make setting easier.

Size

Small moonstones are plentiful, so the price per ratti stays fairly flat at low weights. It rises for larger stones that keep a strong, central blue sheen and good transparency, because such pieces are rare. A big stone with weak sheen does not command the same premium. Our 14.75 carat chandrakant and 10.65 carat chandrakant show how two sizes compare in our listings.

Origin and treatment

Fine blue-sheen moonstone is traditionally associated with Sri Lanka, and peach and grey material with India, among other sources. Origin labels can carry a premium, but on moonstone the stone in front of you matters more than the label. Judge the sheen and clarity first.

Moonstone is rarely treated, though some stones are coated or backed to boost the glow, and dyed or glass imitations exist. Opalite, a man-made glass, is often sold as moonstone; it glows evenly in blue and orange tones from every angle, without the floating sheen. Our planned guide to real and fake moonstone covers this.

Why two similar moonstones can differ in price

Put two white-bodied moonstones of the same weight side by side and they may look alike on a counter. Turn them under a single bulb and the difference appears: one shows a soft glow at the edge, the other a bright blue sheen that slides across the centre of the dome. That second stone is rarer and should cost more. Cutting adds to the gap, because orienting the rough to centre the sheen wastes material, and a cutter who does it well charges for the loss. When a quote seems high, ask the seller to show you exactly where the sheen sits and how far it moves.

Per carat or per ratti: reading a quote

In Pakistani bazaars, moonstone is usually quoted per ratti. The standard gemstone ratti is 0.91 carat (about 0.182 grams). Some jewellers use the smaller sunari ratti of about 0.1215 grams, roughly 0.61 carat. A 9.1 carat moonstone is 10 standard ratti, but nearer 15 sunari ratti, so the same per-ratti rate can produce very different totals. Ask which ratti a seller means, and use our carat to ratti converter to check.

Some dealers quote larger moonstones per piece rather than per ratti. That is fine, as long as you know the exact weight so you can work out the rate yourself.

How to compare two moonstone quotes

1. Ask for a tilting video under one light source to judge the sheen.
2. Confirm body colour. Colourless, white, grey and peach are priced differently.
3. Get the exact weight in carats, and agree which ratti is used.
4. Check whether it is classic moonstone or rainbow moonstone.
5. Ask about cracks that reach the surface, especially for a ring stone.
6. Price the stone separately from any ring or setting.
7. Check return terms. A small saving is not worth a stone you cannot return.

Budget tiers, by filter

Browse by budget with the shop filters:

• under 5,000 rupees: white-sheen and milky stones, and smaller blue-sheen pieces. A good start for a first moonstone.
• 5,000 to 20,000 rupees: larger stones, better transparency and stronger sheen.
• 20,000 to 50,000 rupees: clear stones with strong blue sheen in useful ring sizes.
• over 50,000 rupees: the finest blue-sheen stones in larger sizes, when available.

Our guide to natural gemstones under 5,000 rupees also lists other affordable choices.

Looking after the value

Moonstone is about 6 to 6.5 on the Mohs scale and has cleavage, so it scratches and chips more easily than quartz. A scratched dome loses sheen and value. A bezel setting, removal during heavy work, and separate storage keep it looking right. Our moonstone care guide covers this in detail.

How the use you have in mind changes what to pay

A moonstone for a daily ring needs a crack-free stone, a fairly high dome to protect the sheen, and a size that sits comfortably. It is worth paying more for those qualities than for extra carats. A pendant or earrings face less wear, so a softer-looking stone with a few inclusions can be a sensible saving. Beads for a bracelet or tasbih are priced by the strand, and matching sheen across every bead raises the cost.

If you are buying moonstone for traditional reasons, such as its link with the Moon in Vedic astrology or with Cancer rashi, your astrologer may suggest a weight. In that case, choose the best sheen you can afford at that weight rather than going larger with a weaker stone. See Cancer gemstones for the background.

Pricing mistakes buyers often make

• Paying for size alone. A large, milky stone with little sheen is not a better buy than a smaller, clear one with strong blue glow.
• Trusting a single photo. Sheen is easy to fake with lighting and easy to miss with a flat photo.
• Mixing up names. Rainbow moonstone, opalite and classic moonstone are three different things at three different prices.
• Ignoring cracks. A surface-reaching crack in a ring stone can open further with knocks.

Our planned moonstone buying guide goes further into choosing the right stone.

Buying moonstone from GemStore

Every moonstone we list has its own photo, weight and price. Cash on Delivery is available across Pakistan, and you may open the parcel and inspect the stone before paying the rider. Orders are dispatched in one to two working days and reach you in about seven working days by insured, tracked courier, with seven-day returns. A certificate is available on request. For a tilting video of any stone, message us on WhatsApp at +92 308 887 3888.

Shop the stones: moonstone.

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