Gem Journal
Learn the stone before you buy it
Straight answers on identifying, pricing, choosing and caring for natural gemstones — written for buyers in Pakistan, with the Urdu names you already know.
Price guide · Amethyst (Jamunia) Amethyst Price in Pakistan: How Jamunia Is Valued
Amethyst, sold in Pakistan as jamunia (and sometimes as katela), is one of the easiest gemstones to own. It is purple quartz, hard enough fo…
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Wearing guide · Jade (Yashab) How to Wear Jade (Yashab): Finger, Hand, Metal and Everyday Care
Jade, called yashab in Urdu, is worn in Pakistan in many forms: a smooth green ring stone, a bangle, a carved pendant or a string of tasbih…
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Buying guide · Australian Opal Australian Opal Buying Guide: Choosing Well From Pakistan
Australian opal has a reputation that reaches every gem bazaar in Pakistan. Many astrologers name it when they recommend opal for Venus, and…
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Price guide · Green Agate (Sabz Aqeeq) Green Agate Price in Pakistan: What You Are Paying For
Green agate, sold in Pakistan as sabz aqeeq, is one of the most affordable natural stones you can buy, and one of the most popular for men's…
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Price guide · Topaz Topaz Price in Pakistan: Colours, Treatments and Fair Quotes
Topaz covers an unusually wide range of stones and prices. A large, clean blue topaz can cost less than a small natural pink one from Katlan…
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Price guide Aqeeq Price in Pakistan: How Carnelian Is Priced, Per Carat and Per Ratti
Ask three shops in the same bazaar for an aqeeq price and you can get three answers that look impossible to compare. One quotes per ratti, o…
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Buying guide Pearl (Moti) Buying Guide: Choosing a Loose Pearl in Pakistan
A pearl is the one gem you cannot judge the way you judge a cut stone. There are no facets, no hardness to rely on, and the qualities that m…
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Real or fake Real vs Fake Moonstone: How to Check Asli Chandrakant
Moonstone is sold in every gem bazaar in Pakistan, often as chandrakant, and a fair share of what is offered is not moonstone at all. The mo…
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Price guide Jade (Yashab) Price in Pakistan: What You Pay For, Per Carat and Per Ratti
Jade has one of the widest price spreads of any gem material. The same word, yashab, is used for a modest green ring stone and for transluce…
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Buying guide Tiger Eye Buying Guide: Choosing Chashm-e-Babri in Pakistan
Tiger eye, known in Pakistan as chashm-e-babri, is one of the easiest stones to love and one of the easiest to choose badly. Almost every pi…
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Price guide Blue Topaz Price in Pakistan: Shade, Clarity, Cut and Size Explained
Blue topaz is one of the few gemstones where a buyer in Pakistan can get a clean, bright, well-cut stone of good size without stretching the…
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Price guide Red Agate (Surkh Aqeeq) Price in Pakistan: How to Judge a Fair Quote
Red agate is one of the most affordable natural stones you can buy in Pakistan, and that is exactly why its pricing confuses people. When a…
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Pukhraj buying guide Yellow Sapphire Buying Guide: Choosing Pukhraj in Pakistan
Buying Pukhraj is mostly a matter of order. Decide the purpose and the weight first, then judge colour, then check clarity and cut, and only…
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