A 22.9 carat shajri aqeeq — 25.16 ratti — at Rs. 16,000, about Rs. 699 per carat. This is the weight class men's silver rings are built around here.

Aqeeq on the hand

Agate has been the everyday ring stone of this region for longer than any record we have, and there are sound reasons beyond custom. At 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale chalcedony is hard enough to survive a working hand — harder than opal, turquoise, lapis or moonstone, all of which chip or scratch in ordinary use. It takes a high polish and holds it. And it is opaque enough that the small marks a ring inevitably collects do not show the way they do on a transparent stone.

Shajri aqeeq adds the thing plain agate lacks: something to look at. The dendrites make each stone individual in a way that a plain carnelian or black aqeeq never is.

Sizing it properly

Twenty to twenty-five carats is the range that suits a standard men's silver ring with a broad shank. Below about fifteen the stone starts to look lost in the mount; above thirty-five it stands high enough to catch on pockets and sleeves. This stone sits in the middle of that useful band.

Setting advice

A bezel in silver, with the pattern oriented before anything is soldered — a dendrite turned sideways reads as a smudge rather than a tree. Ask for cold setting: no torch near a seated agate, because dendritic stones contain the fractures the dendrites grew along, and heat finds them.

Rate and care

This stone is about Rs. 699 per carat, and every stone here sits between Rs. 698 and Rs. 701, so the price follows the weight alone. Warm water, mild soap, a soft cloth; no ultrasonic cleaner and no sudden heat. Take the ring off for heavy work — chalcedony is tough but it is not a diamond.

Treatment has not been tested on this stone, so we say so rather than describing it as untreated. No documented origin is held for it. Dimensions and clarity are not recorded yet; ask and we will measure.

This particular stone

This listing is one natural moss agate, known in Urdu as Shajri Aqeeq, with a weight of 22.9 Carat. Its price is Rs. 16,000 — roughly Rs. 699 for each carat. Treatment: treatment not tested. Quote reference GS-00097-1 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 moss agate rates 6.5 to 7. That is middle-of-the-road hardness: comfortable in pendants and earrings, and in rings worn with some care. Store it apart from harder stones so it does not pick up scratches, and wipe it with a damp cloth rather than scrubbing.

Whoever you buy moss agate 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 moss agate 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): Moss agate (shajri aqeeq) 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.