"Purple amethyst" sounds like a tautology until you have seen a tray of them side by side. Amethyst runs from a pale lilac that barely registers as colour, through the mid purple most buyers picture, to a dense reddish purple that reads almost as a different stone. This one sits in the middle band — a clear, recognisable purple, neither pale nor smoky.

The stone itself

It weighs 4.20 carats, which is 4.62 ratti. It is cut as a drop and faceted all over, so it has a point at one end and a rounded belly — the shape jewellers reach for when the stone is going into a pendant or a pair of earrings rather than a ring. The price is Rs. 11,250, about Rs. 2,679 per carat, under reference GS-000255.

The per-carat rate here is higher than on our larger amethysts. That is not an error. Below roughly five carats you are paying partly for the cutting work, which costs much the same whether the rough was big or small, so a fixed cost is spread over fewer carats.

Why a drop shape changes the design

A drop hangs. That single fact decides most of what you can do with it:

• In a pendant it needs a bail at the narrow end, so the stone hangs point-up and the wide end catches the light.
• In earrings it wants a partner of very similar weight and colour — matching a drop afterwards is hard, so tell us early if you want a pair and we will look through the parcel.
• In a ring it has to be set east–west or at an angle, because a point sitting along the finger snags on everything.

Judging the colour honestly

Look at a purple amethyst in three lights before you decide: daylight near a window, ordinary room light in the evening, and under a phone torch. A good stone stays purple in all three. A weak one turns grey under room light — that is the single most common disappointment people describe to us after buying elsewhere, and it is why every stone on this site is photographed as it is, with no colour correction.

Is it natural or glass?

Natural amethyst feels cold to the touch for a moment when you pick it up, and under a loupe it shows the faint irregularities of something that grew. Glass imitations show round gas bubbles and swirl lines, and synthetic quartz is flawless in a way that looks wrong. We sell natural stones only and inspect every piece before it is listed; we can also arrange independent laboratory testing on request. Our guide to spotting fake gemstones walks through the checks you can do yourself.

Has it been heated?

We have not tested this one, so the specification says so. Mild heating is accepted practice on amethyst and does not make a stone less natural, but we will not claim a stone is untreated when we have not checked.

Getting it to you

One piece, so once it is gone it is gone. Flat Rs. 500 delivery anywhere in Pakistan, insured and tracked, dispatched in one to two working days, Cash on Delivery after you have inspected it, and seven days to return it unused. Browse the rest of the Jamunia collection, or use the carat to ratti converter if you are working from a ratti weight an astrologer gave you.

This particular stone

This listing is one natural amethyst, known in Urdu as Jamunia, with a weight of 4.2 Carat. Its price is Rs. 11,250 — roughly Rs. 2,679 for each carat. Treatment: treatment not tested. Quote reference GS-000255 when you message us about it. The photographs show this exact stone, so what arrives at your door is the piece you chose on screen.

Between two and six carats is the range most people choose for a gents' ring or a noticeable pendant. Here colour drives the price more than size does, which is why two stones of near-identical weight can be priced very differently.

On the Mohs scale amethyst rates 7. It handles daily wear, but a hard knock can still nick an exposed corner, so a protective setting is a sensible choice. Clean it with warm soapy water and a soft brush, and keep it away from abrasive cleaners and high heat.

Whoever you buy amethyst from, make sure of three things: the stone is natural rather than lab-grown, glass or glass-filled; any treatment is stated in writing; and the weight quoted is the weight of the finished stone. We check every amethyst for those three points before it is listed, a certificate is available on request, and because you pay on delivery you can look at the stone — or have it tested — before any money changes hands.

We sell natural stones only and inspect each one before it is listed. Treatment for this stone: Treatment not tested. Certificate available on request. As general background (not a statement about this stone): Amethyst is usually untreated, though some stones are heated to lighten the colour. Ask us on WhatsApp and we will tell you what we know about this exact stone; independent lab testing is available on request.

A certificate of authenticity is available on request for this stone, and independent laboratory testing can be arranged. Because you pay on delivery, you can also take the stone to a lab of your choice within the 7-day return window. Read more on our authenticity page.