17.30 carats — 19.01 ratti — at Rs. 6,560, about Rs. 379 per carat. The reference is GSN-LL-25.

What the photograph actually shows

Brightness reads 55 out of 255 — among the three darkest stones in this part of the collection — with saturation at 83%, which is near the top of the range. Deep and strongly coloured at once is the combination worth paying for in lapis, and this stone has it at a smaller size than the big showpieces higher up.

Pale calcite accounts for only 4.6% of the surface, so the blue runs close to unbroken.

The polish and the cut

This is a cabochon: domed, unfaceted, shaped to show colour rather than sparkle. That is the only sensible way to cut lapis, which is opaque — facets would have nothing to work with.

Polishing it well is harder than it looks. Lapis is soft and not uniformly so: the calcite and pyrite in it wear at different rates from the lazurite, and a hurried polish leaves a faintly uneven surface where the softer patches sit slightly low. This stone fills 84% of its bounding box, the highest figure in the collection, which tells you the dome is full and evenly shaped rather than cut away at the edges to hide a flaw.

Wearing it

Seventeen carats is a comfortable ring stone or a neat pendant. A deep blue suits silver; a bezel suits a soft stone.

Care

Warm water and a soft cloth. No ultrasonic cleaner, no steam, nothing chemical. A good polish on a soft stone is worth protecting.

We have not had this stone tested, so its treatment is recorded as "not tested" rather than untreated, and we hold no documented origin for it. Message +92 308 887 3888 for an identification. The rest of the range is in the lapis lazuli category.

Cash on Delivery is available across Pakistan, so you inspect the stone before paying, and returns are accepted within 7 days of delivery.

This particular stone

This listing is one natural lapis lazuli, known in Urdu as Lajward, with a weight of 17.3 Carat. Its price is Rs. 6,560 — roughly Rs. 379 for each carat. Treatment: treatment not tested. Quote reference GSN-LL-25 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 lapis lazuli rates 5 to 6. That makes it soft for a gemstone, better suited to pendants, earrings and rings for special occasions than to a daily ring. Keep it away from perfume, cleaning products, steam and ultrasonic cleaners, and polish it with a dry, soft cloth after wear.

Whoever you buy lapis lazuli 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 lapis lazuli 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): Lapis lazuli (lajward) is sometimes dyed or waxed to even out its blue. 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.