17.75 carats — 19.51 ratti — at Rs. 6,680, about Rs. 376 per carat. The reference is GSN-LL-26.

The pyrite is real, and it is the only one

We measured all twenty stones in this part of the collection for brassy pyrite content, and this is the only one that returns any at all: 0.3% of its surface. Every other stone reads 0.0%. On the photograph you can see the flecks scattered across the upper face and along the lower edge — small, irregular, metallic, catching the light at a different angle from the blue around them.

Nought point three per cent sounds slight, and it is: this is fine scattered flecking rather than the heavy golden shot you see in some lapis. But it is genuinely there, and it is the stone to choose if the gold is what you want.

Pyrite is also useful evidence. It is iron sulphide that formed alongside the lazurite, and dyed imitations almost never reproduce it convincingly — so visible, irregularly scattered pyrite is one of the better informal signs that a blue stone is natural lapis.

What else the photograph shows

Brightness reads 64 out of 255 and saturation 68%, a mid-depth blue of moderate strength. Pale calcite accounts for 7.9% of the surface, the highest of the twenty — so this stone carries more white marbling than the others, which is the trade-off for its pyrite. If you want unbroken blue, the cleaner stones higher up this page suit better.

Care

Lapis is soft at 5 to 5.5 on the Mohs scale and porous. Warm water and a soft cloth only. Pyrite can tarnish, so keep it dry and away from anything acidic.

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 closer photographs of the pyrite. 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 17.75 Carat. Its price is Rs. 6,680 — roughly Rs. 376 for each carat. Treatment: treatment not tested. Quote reference GSN-LL-26 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.