A 42.05 carat moss agate — 46.21 ratti — at Rs. 29,400, about Rs. 699 per carat.

Working with dendritic agate

Three things a setter should know before this stone goes anywhere near a bench.

It contains fractures by definition. Dendrites form in cracks — groundwater carries dissolved oxides into hairline fissures and the crystals grow there. So every dendritic agate has healed or partly healed fractures running through it. In practice the stone is perfectly robust at 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale, but it means no torch work near a seated stone and no thermal shock, which will find those planes.

Orientation is a design decision, not a fitting one. The pattern has a top and a bottom. Rotate the cabochon in its seat and the branching stops reading as a tree and starts reading as a blot. Mark the orientation before you set, and check it on a finger rather than on the bench — the angle you view a ring from in wear is not the angle you work at.

Bezel beats claws. Continuous support round the girdle, nothing to snag, and no four points of stress on a material with internal planes. It also frames the picture, which claws interrupt.

The stone itself

An oval cabochon, translucent warm brown, with cream-white dendrites branching across the upper half. Forty-two carats is a substantial piece — big enough for a statement ring or a pendant centre, and enough material that a jeweller has room to build a proper mount rather than a minimal one.

Rate and care

This stone is about Rs. 699 per carat, and the whole collection sits between Rs. 698 and Rs. 701, so costing a commission is simple arithmetic. Warm water, mild soap, soft cloth; no ultrasonic cleaner.

Treatment has not been tested, which we record rather than describing the stone as untreated. No documented origin is held. Dimensions and clarity are not recorded yet — ask and we will measure before you plan around it.

This particular stone

This listing is one natural moss agate, known in Urdu as Shajri Aqeeq, with a weight of 42.05 Carat. Its price is Rs. 29,400 — roughly Rs. 699 for each carat. Treatment: treatment not tested. Quote reference GS-000432 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.