In this article
Ask a jeweller in Lahore or Peshawar for neelam and you will be understood immediately; ask a gem lab and it will write "blue sapphire". Most Pakistani buyers move between the two vocabularies, so this page lines them up: the English name, the Urdu script and spelling, what the stone really is, and whether GemStore has it in stock.
Gemstone names: English, Urdu and what they mean
| English | Urdu | Roman Urdu | What it actually is | GemStore stock |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Sapphire | نیلم | Neelam | Blue corundum, the most searched gemstone in Pakistan. Also called: Neelam, Blue Neelam, Kashmiri Neelam. | 166 in stock |
| Yellow Sapphire | پکھراج | Pukhraj | Yellow corundum; the name is also used loosely for yellow topaz, so check for 'corundum' on the report. Also called: Pukhraj, Peela Pukhraj, Peeli Neelam. | 38 in stock |
| Purple Sapphire | جامنی نیلم | Jamni Neelam | Purple to violet corundum, as hard as blue sapphire. Also called: Purple Neelam, Violet Sapphire. | 10 in stock |
| White Sapphire | سفید نیلم | Safed Neelam | Colourless corundum, often worn as a diamond alternative. Also called: Safed Pukhraj, Colourless Sapphire. | — |
| Pink Sapphire | گلابی نیلم | Gulabi Neelam | Pink corundum; deeper red shades are called ruby. Also called: Pink Neelam. | — |
| Ruby | یاقوت | Yaqoot | Red corundum; many rubies on the market are heated, which should be disclosed. Also called: Yaqoot, Yaqoot-e-Ahmar, Manik, Surkh Yaqoot. | 60 in stock |
| Spinel | لعل | Laal | A separate mineral from ruby; red spinel was long mistaken for ruby. Also called: Lal, Laal-e-Badakhshan, Balas Ruby. | — |
| Emerald | زمرد | Zamurd | Green beryl; Swat in Pakistan is a known source and most emeralds are oiled. Also called: Zamarrud, Panna, Swati Zamurd. | 4 in stock |
| Aquamarine | بیروج | Beruj | Sea-blue beryl; Gilgit-Baltistan produces fine crystals. Also called: Beruj, Aquamarine. | 32 in stock |
| Morganite | Morganite | Pink to peach beryl, a cousin of emerald and aquamarine. Also called: Pink Beryl. | — | |
| Turquoise | فیروزہ | Feroza | Opaque sky-blue to green mineral; often stabilised, which should be disclosed. Also called: Firoza, Phiroza. | 4 in stock |
| Nishapuri Turquoise | فیروزہ نیشاپوری | Nishapuri Feroza | Turquoise from Nishapur in Iran, traditionally the most prized feroza. Also called: Irani Feroza, Persian Turquoise. | 4 in stock |
| Agate | عقیق | Aqeeq | Banded or plain chalcedony quartz; Aqeeq covers a whole family of colours. Also called: Aqiq, Akik, Hakik. | 4 in stock |
| Carnelian (Yemeni Aqeeq) | عقیق یمنی | Yamani Aqeeq | Orange-red translucent chalcedony; Yemeni stones are the traditional benchmark. Also called: Yamni Aqeeq, Aqeeq-e-Yamani, Carnelian. | 4 in stock |
| Red Agate | سرخ عقیق | Surkh Aqeeq | Red chalcedony; deep even colour is often the result of dyeing. Also called: Laal Aqeeq, Red Aqeeq. | 23 in stock |
| Black Agate | سیاہ عقیق | Siyah Aqeeq | Opaque black chalcedony, popular for men's rings; usually dyed. Also called: Kala Aqeeq, Black Aqeeq. | 29 in stock |
| Sulemani Agate | سلیمانی عقیق | Sulemani Aqeeq | Agate with black, brown and white bands. Also called: Sulaimani, Sulemani Hakik, Banded Agate. | 20 in stock |
| Green Agate | سبز عقیق | Sabz Aqeeq | Green chalcedony; strong greens are often dyed. Also called: Green Aqeeq. | 12 in stock |
| White Agate | سفید عقیق | Safed Aqeeq | Milky white chalcedony, often worn in silver. Also called: White Aqeeq, Doodhia Aqeeq. | 11 in stock |
| Yellow Agate | زرد عقیق | Zard Aqeeq | Honey to lemon-yellow chalcedony. Also called: Peela Aqeeq, Yellow Aqeeq. | 22 in stock |
| Moss Agate | شجری عقیق | Shajri Aqeeq | Clear to milky agate with green, moss-like or tree-like patterns. Also called: Shajri, Tree Agate. | 16 in stock |
| Onyx | Onyx | Chalcedony with straight parallel bands; black onyx is usually dyed. Also called: Black Onyx, Banded Onyx. | — | |
| Chalcedony | Chalcedony | Fine-grained quartz with a waxy glow; agate and carnelian belong to it. Also called: Aqeeq family, Blue Chalcedony. | 1 in stock | |
| Dur-e-Najaf | درِ نجف | Dur-e-Najaf | Clear quartz traditionally associated with Najaf, Iraq; usually worn in silver. Also called: Durr-e-Najaf, Najafi Stone, Najaf Quartz. | 17 in stock |
| Moh-e-Najaf (Rutilated Quartz) | موئے نجف | Moh-e-Najaf | Clear quartz with fine hair-like needles of rutile inside. Also called: Moo-e-Najaf, Rutilated Quartz. | 13 in stock |
| Clear Quartz | بلور | Billaur | Colourless quartz, the same mineral as Dur-e-Najaf. Also called: Billor, Billori, Sang-e-Billaur, Rock Crystal. | — |
| Rose Quartz | Rose Quartz | Soft pink, usually cloudy quartz. Also called: Pink Quartz. | — | |
| Smoky Quartz | Smoky Quartz | Grey-brown to smoky quartz. Also called: Brown Quartz. | — | |
| Amethyst | جامنیا | Jamunia | Purple quartz; strong sunlight over a long time can pale it. Also called: Jamunia, Katela, Purple Quartz. | 37 in stock |
| Citrine | سنہلا | Sunehla | Yellow to orange quartz; much of it is heat-treated amethyst. Also called: Sunela, Sunehla, Yellow Quartz. | 11 in stock |
| Topaz | ٹوپاز | Topaz | A separate mineral from sapphire, found in many colours. Also called: Yellow Topaz, sometimes sold as Pukhraj. | 17 in stock |
| Yellow Topaz | پیلا ٹوپاز | Peela Topaz | Yellow to golden topaz, often offered as a cheaper Pukhraj. Also called: Sunehri Topaz, Topaz Pukhraj. | 17 in stock |
| Blue Topaz | نیلا ٹوپاز | Neela Topaz | Blue topaz, almost always treated to deepen the colour. Also called: Blue Topaz, Swiss Blue, London Blue. | 14 in stock |
| White Topaz | سفید ٹوپاز | Safed Topaz | Colourless topaz, bright but softer than sapphire. Also called: White Topaz. | 13 in stock |
| Pink Topaz | گلابی ٹوپاز | Gulabi Topaz | Natural pink topaz; Katlang near Mardan in Pakistan is a known source. Also called: Katlang Topaz, Pink Topaz. | — |
| Peridot | زبرجد | Zabarjad | Olive to lime-green gem; Kohistan in Pakistan produces fine material. Also called: Zabarjad, Olivine. | 15 in stock |
| Garnet | Yaqoot-e-Rumani | Usually deep red; a family of related minerals rather than one stone. Also called: Rumani, Garnet. | 24 in stock | |
| Hessonite Garnet | Gomed | Honey-brown to orange garnet, linked in Vedic astrology with Rahu. Also called: Gomedh, Gomed. | 24 in stock | |
| Cat's Eye (Chrysoberyl) | لہسنیا | Lehsunia | Chrysoberyl showing a sharp band of light that moves across the dome. Also called: Lahsunia, Cat's Eye. | 16 in stock |
| Alexandrite | Alexandrite | Rare chrysoberyl that looks green in daylight and red to purple under warm light. Also called: Colour-change Chrysoberyl. | — | |
| Pearl | موتی | Moti | Organic gem grown inside oysters and mussels; Basra pearls are the traditional benchmark. Also called: Moti, Basra Moti, Lulu. | 10 in stock |
| Mother of Pearl | سیپی | Seepi | The pearly inner layer of a shell. Also called: Sippi, Seep. | — |
| Red Coral | مرجان | Marjan | Organic gem from the sea; soft and sensitive to chemicals. Also called: Moonga, Munga, Italian Marjan. | 35 in stock |
| Lapis Lazuli | لاجورد | Lajward | Deep-blue rock with golden pyrite flecks; Badakhshan is the classic source. Also called: Lajwardi, Lajward. | 39 in stock |
| Jade | یشب | Yashab | Name for both nephrite and jadeite; green is the most common colour. Also called: Sang-e-Yashab, Yashm. | 18 in stock |
| Nephrite | Nephrite | The tougher, more common of the two jade minerals. Also called: Nephrite Jade, Yashab. | 14 in stock | |
| Shah Maqsood | Shah Maqsood | Green stone from Afghanistan, popular for tasbih; usually identified as serpentine. Also called: Shah Maqsoodi. | — | |
| Hematite | سنگِ حدید | Sang-e-Hadeed | Heavy, metallic grey-black iron oxide; man-made 'hematine' is common. Also called: Hadeed, Hematite. | 14 in stock |
| Bloodstone | حجر الدم | Hajar-ud-Dam | Dark green chalcedony with red spots; the Arabic name is also used for hematite. Also called: Hajar-ud-Dam, Heliotrope. | 7 in stock |
| Amber | کہربا | Kehruba | Fossilised tree resin, very light and warm to the touch. Also called: Kahruba, Kehrba. | 2 in stock |
| Moonstone | سنگِ ماہ | Sang-e-Maah | Feldspar with a floating blue-white sheen. Also called: Chandrakant, Moonstone. | 32 in stock |
| Sunstone | Sunstone | Feldspar with glittering copper-coloured flecks. Also called: Sunstone. | 10 in stock | |
| Labradorite | Labradorite | Grey feldspar that flashes blue, green and gold when turned. Also called: Spectrolite. | 18 in stock | |
| Opal | اوپل | Opal | Known for play-of-colour; contains water and dislikes heat and knocks. Also called: Ethiopian Opal, Australian Opal. | 88 in stock |
| Malachite | Malachite | Banded green copper mineral; soft, and dust from cutting should not be breathed. Also called: Dahana-e-Farang. | 28 in stock | |
| Tiger Eye | ٹائیگر آئی | Tiger Eye | Golden-brown quartz with a silky moving band of light. Also called: Tiger's Eye, Cheetah Stone. | 6 in stock |
| Iron Tiger Eye | Iron Tiger Eye | Banded mix of tiger eye, red jasper and hematite. Also called: Tiger Iron. | 19 in stock | |
| Jasper | Jasper | Opaque, often patterned chalcedony. Also called: Red Jasper, Picture Jasper. | 4 in stock | |
| Tanzanite | ٹنزانائٹ | Tanzanite | Blue-violet zoisite from Tanzania that changes shade as you turn it. Also called: Tanzanite. | 9 in stock |
| Tourmaline | ٹورملین | Tourmaline | Comes in nearly every colour; Pakistan and Afghanistan produce pink and green. Also called: Turmali, Pink Tourmaline, Green Tourmaline. | 6 in stock |
| Kunzite | Kunzite | Pink to lilac spodumene that can fade in strong sunlight. Also called: Pink Spodumene. | 12 in stock | |
| Iolite | Neeli | Violet-blue stone often offered as a low-cost Neelam substitute. Also called: Neeli, Water Sapphire. | — | |
| Zircon | Zircon | Natural mineral with strong fire; not the same as cubic zirconia. Also called: Jarkan, Blue Zircon. | — | |
| Diamond | ہیرا | Heera | Pure carbon, the hardest natural gem. Also called: Almas, Heera. | — |
| Navratan (Nine-Gem Set) | نورتن | Navratan | Set of nine stones linked with the nine planets in Vedic astrology, often worn in one ring or pendant. Also called: Nau Ratan, Navaratna. | — |
Five names that get mixed up
- Pukhraj is properly yellow sapphire, a corundum. Yellow topaz is often sold under the same word for a fraction of the price. A lab report naming "corundum" settles it.
- Neelam means blue sapphire. Blue topaz, iolite and blue glass sometimes borrow the name. Sapphire is harder (9 on the Mohs scale) and feels heavier for its size.
- Yaqoot is ruby, red corundum. Red spinel and garnet are the usual stand-ins.
- Aqeeq is a whole family of agate and chalcedony. Yamni aqeeq is Yemeni carnelian, Sulemani aqeeq is banded black-and-white agate, and there are green, white and yellow varieties too.
- Zamurd is emerald, green beryl. Green glass, quartz and tourmaline imitate it, but genuine emerald nearly always shows natural inclusions.
When to use which name
Use the Urdu name in the bazaar and with family, and the English name when you read a certificate or compare prices abroad. Every GemStore product page carries both, along with the weight, the origin where we know it, and the price of that single stone. Not sure what a stone you already own is? Send a clear photo on WhatsApp and we will tell you what to check.