A 45.4 carat moss agate — 49.89 ratti — at Rs. 31,800, about Rs. 700 per carat, delivered anywhere in Pakistan.

Buying shajri aqeeq, and what gets sold as it

Moss agate is one of the easier stones to imitate, because the thing being imitated is a picture rather than a colour. Three substitutes turn up regularly in the local market. Dyed agate with artificial patterning, which tends to show colour sitting in the surface cracks rather than suspended inside clear material. Glass with inclusions, which gives itself away through air bubbles — perfectly round, something no mineral dendrite ever is. And printed or doublet stones, where a pattern sits on a flat backing under a clear cap; tilt one and the picture does not move relative to the surface the way a real inclusion does.

A genuine dendritic agate shows its pattern at a definite depth below the dome. Rock the stone and the dendrites shift slightly against the surface, because you are looking at them through several millimetres of translucent chalcedony.

What we can and cannot tell you

We can tell you the weight, the price and the rate, and we photograph each stone as it is — this is the one you receive, not a representative sample. We cannot tell you where it was mined, because we hold no documented origin for it, and we would rather say so than invent a source. Treatment has not been tested either.

The stone

Translucent warm brown, cut as an oval cabochon, with cream-white dendrites branching through the upper half. Chalcedony at 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale — hard enough for a ring worn daily. Warm water, mild soap and a soft cloth; no ultrasonic cleaner, no steam, no sudden heat.

Dimensions and clarity are not recorded yet. Ask us and we will measure the stone before you commit to it.

This particular stone

This listing is one natural moss agate, known in Urdu as Shajri Aqeeq, with a weight of 45.4 Carat. Its price is Rs. 31,800 — roughly Rs. 700 for each carat. Treatment: treatment not tested. Quote reference GS-000433 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.