Before anything else about a sapphire, a good dealer tells you what is normal in the trade, and for sapphire it is heating. A furnace is used to improve colour and clarity, and most stones on sale have had it. Stones without it are scarcer and cost more. So if you are considering this 3.5 carat neelam, your first question should be about treatment, and our answer is that we will share what we know about this stone on WhatsApp (+92 308 887 3888).

Details of this stone

It is a natural blue sapphire, neelam in Urdu, weighing 3.5 carats with Mohs hardness 9. The price is Rs. 15,000, about Rs. 4,286 per carat. The reference is GS-000775.

A 3.5 carat sapphire is a handy size. It sits neatly in a ring, balanced and wearable every day, and it is small enough to carry a thin silver setting without looking top heavy. If you want an independent view, a lab test can be arranged on request, and a certificate of authenticity is available too.

Inspect it when it arrives: Cash on Delivery means you open the parcel first and pay only when you are happy. Browse more in the neelam collection.

Order with Cash on Delivery anywhere in Pakistan: open the parcel, check the stone, then pay. If it is not right for you, you have 7 days to return it. Before you choose, read our sapphire guide.

This particular stone

This listing is one natural sapphire, known in Urdu as Neelam, with a weight of 3.5 Carat. Its price is Rs. 15,000 — roughly Rs. 4,286 for each carat. Treatment: treatment not tested. Quote reference GS-000775 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 sapphire rates 9. Few materials will scratch it, so it copes well with everyday ring wear. A soak in warm water with a drop of mild soap and a soft brush keeps it bright; skip the ultrasonic cleaner if inclusions reach the surface.

Whoever you buy sapphire 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 sapphire 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): Most sapphire on the market is heated to improve colour and clarity; unheated stones exist and cost more. 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.