A natural blue sapphire of 4.45 carats, about 4.89 ratti, recorded as coming from Afghanistan, at Rs. 13,350 – exactly Rs. 3,000 per carat. That is the lowest rate per carat among the twenty blue sapphires currently at the front of this category. Our record gives its colour as deep blue.

How blue sapphire is actually priced

Since this listing is about price, here is the whole of it.

Four things drive the price of a blue sapphire, in roughly this order. Colour is the biggest by a distance: how vivid the blue is, how evenly it runs across the stone, and whether it is clean blue rather than greyish or over-dark. Clarity comes next. Then heat treatment – an unheated stone of the same appearance is worth substantially more than a heated one. Then origin.

Carat weight is barely on that list. It multiplies whatever the per-carat rate turns out to be, but it does not set it. In our own tray the rate currently runs from Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 15,000 per carat – nearly four times, across stones of similar size.

So the comparison to make between sellers is the rate per carat: total price divided by carat weight. If a listing does not give you the weight, you cannot do the sum, and that is worth noticing.

Where this stone sits

At the bottom of that band. It is a well-sized, deep blue commercial sapphire rather than a fine one, and it is priced accordingly. Nearly four and a half carats for Rs. 13,350 is a lot of stone for the money; what you are not buying at this rate is the top of the colour and clarity range.

Afghanistan

Afghanistan has supplied corundum to the Pakistani market for a long time, and the trade route through Peshawar is why so much of what is sold as neelam here carries an Afghan origin. It is a working commercial source rather than a famous one, and it is priced as such. This is the origin our record holds; it is not a laboratory determination.

Hardness

Corundum is Mohs 9, the hardest gem in ordinary jewellery use after diamond, which is why sapphire survives daily wear where softer stones dull. It can still chip at an edge under a sharp blow.

What has not been tested

No laboratory report, and the heating status has not been tested. Most blue sapphire is heated. We will arrange an independent test on request.

Care and ordering

Warm water, mild soap, a soft brush. Avoid ultrasonic and steam cleaners. One stone, sold once. Message us on WhatsApp for more photographs, and we deliver across Pakistan.

This particular stone

This listing is one natural sapphire, known in Urdu as Neelam, with a weight of 4.45 Carat. Its price is Rs. 13,350 — roughly Rs. 3,000 for each carat. Origin: Afghanistan. Treatment: treatment not tested. Quote reference GS-000883 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.