Ninety-seven and a half carats is a serious piece of quartz. Held in the hand it has real weight to it, and on a wide silver ring it covers the finger in the way the old Najafi rings do. This is the largest Dur-e-Najaf we currently list, and because Dur-e-Najaf is priced gently by weight, it is also one of the best-value stones in the range on a per-carat basis.

This stone's numbers

97.50 carats, which is 107.14 ratti. Rs. 8,250, working out at about Rs. 85 per carat, reference GS-000216. Recorded shape: oval. Recorded colour: colourless. One piece — the photograph is of the stone you would receive.

What it actually looks like

We measured every photograph in this collection rather than describing them from memory, and it is worth being precise about what Dur-e-Najaf is. The body colour is genuinely neutral — the red, green and blue values in the photograph sit within a few points of each other, so "white" is an honest description rather than a flattering one. But the stone is translucent rather than transparent. A faceted see-through gem photographed under the same light shows a brightness variation of around 65 across its face, from bright crown flashes to dark pavilion shadows. This stone measures 10. That is the signature of a milky, softly glowing cabochon that passes light without letting you look through it.

That matters because a good deal of material is sold as Dur-e-Najaf on the promise of glass-clear water. Traditional Najafi stones are usually the soft milky white you see here, cut as a smooth dome rather than faceted, and that is what gives them their particular quiet lustre. Our guide to telling real Dur-e-Najaf from fake goes through the tests you can do yourself.

What you are paying for in a large stone

1. Weight, straightforwardly. Quartz is not a scarce mineral, so the rate per carat is modest and falls as stones get larger. Across our range it runs from about Rs. 82 to Rs. 492 per carat.
2. Evenness of the white. A consistent milky body without grey patches or dark veins is what separates a good Najafi stone from an ordinary bit of quartz.
3. The polish. A cabochon lives or dies on its dome. A clean, even curve with no flat spots catches the light all the way round.
4. Size, which is where this stone sits. Clean white quartz of nearly a hundred carats is not common in a single well-finished piece.

Treatment and durability

Dur-e-Najaf is clear quartz and is usually untreated — no heating, no dyeing, no filling. Nothing has been done to this stone that we know of, and quartz of this type rarely needs anything done to it. It is 7 on the Mohs scale, which is hard enough for daily wear in a ring, though a stone this large is more exposed than a small one, so a bezel setting serves it better than claws. Warm soapy water and a soft brush; keep it away from ultrasonic cleaners.

Wearing it

Dur-e-Najaf is traditionally set in silver and worn on the right hand, and it is among the most widely worn of the Islamic gemstones. Our guide to wearing Dur-e-Najaf covers the customary practice, and the Dur-e-Najaf page sets out the background. If you want to check the weight in the unit you are used to, the carat to ratti converter does it instantly.

Ordering

One piece only. Flat Rs. 500 delivery anywhere in Pakistan by insured, tracked courier, dispatched in one to two working days. Cash on Delivery — open the parcel and look at the stone before you pay — and seven days to return it unused. Dimensions have not been recorded; message us on WhatsApp at +92 308 887 3888 and we will measure it for you before you order.

This particular stone

This listing is one natural dur-e-najaf with a weight of 97.5 Carat. Its price is Rs. 8,250 — roughly Rs. 85 for each carat. Treatment: treatment not tested. Quote reference GS-000216 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.

Above twelve carats you are into collector territory. Pieces this heavy are usually set as pendants or kept loose, and they are prized for the size of rough they came from. If you do set it, choose a bezel or a heavy claw to protect the edges.

On the Mohs scale dur-e-najaf 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 dur-e-najaf 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 dur-e-najaf 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): Dur-e-Najaf (clear quartz) is usually untreated. 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.