Sold loose and unset: a 7.65 carat pearl — 8.41 ratti — at Rs. 2,100, about Rs. 275 per carat. It is the smallest pearl here and the lowest total price.

Buying a pearl loose, and the one thing to settle first

Before any setting is made, decide how the pearl will be drilled, because it cannot be undone. Half-drilled takes a single hole partway in and sits on a cup-and-peg mount — the right choice for a ring, a stud or a pendant where the pearl should look whole. Fully drilled runs right through for stringing or for a wire through the centre. A half-drilled pearl can later be drilled through; a fully drilled one can never be made whole again.

Tell your jeweller which you want before handing the pearl over, and ask them to drill it themselves rather than sourcing it pre-drilled, so the hole is placed where the setting needs it.

What a setter should know

Set it cold, always — pearl is 2.5 to 4.5 on the Mohs scale and nacre is partly organic, so heat is out of the question anywhere near it. Fit the pearl last, after all soldering and polishing on the mount is finished. And use epoxy rather than cyanoacrylate on a cup-and-peg: it is reversible if the pearl ever needs replacing.

Measured

Brightness 209 out of 255 at 2% saturation — among the most neutral whites in this collection, round, with a tight lustre highlight.

Care once it is set

Last on, first off. Soft damp cloth after wearing. Never an ultrasonic cleaner, never steam, never a jewellery dip — all three strip nacre, and nacre cannot be put back.

Treatment has not been tested on this pearl, which we record plainly rather than calling it untreated. No documented origin is held for it. Dimensions are not recorded yet; ask us and we will measure.

This particular stone

This listing is one natural pearl, known in Urdu as Moti, with a weight of 7.65 Carat. Its price is Rs. 2,100 — roughly Rs. 275 for each carat. Treatment: treatment not tested. Quote reference GS-00081 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.

From six carats up a stone becomes the centre of attention. It wants a broader shank or a secure claw setting and suits an occasion ring, a signet or a centre pendant. Clean natural material of this size turns up far less often, and the per-carat rate reflects that.

On the Mohs scale pearl rates 2.5 to 4.5. 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 pearl 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 pearl 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): Pearls (moti) are commonly bleached and polished; dyed colours are disclosed. 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.