A natural sulemani agate of 7 carats, about 7.69 ratti, at Rs. 4,900 – exactly Rs. 700 per carat. It is the smallest stone in this category and the lowest total price in it.

How sulemani aqeeq is actually priced

Since this listing is about price, here is the whole of it rather than a slogan.

Sulemani is banded agate, and agate is not a rare material. It forms in volcanic cavities all over the world and reaches the market in quantity. So you are not paying for scarcity: you are paying for the pattern, the cutting and the polish. A stone whose bands are strong, even and well centred on the dome costs more than one whose pattern runs off the edge, at the same weight.

Across the twenty stones in this category our rate runs from about Rs. 695 to Rs. 704 per carat – which is to say it is flat. We do not charge more per carat for the larger stones, so the price tracks the weight almost exactly, and the comparison to make against any other seller is total price divided by carat weight. If a listing does not give you the weight, you cannot do that sum.

What this stone looks like

Measured across the photograph, about 89% of its face reads as a warm colour – brown, amber and cream rather than the black and white many people picture when they hear sulemani. Its banding is strong: the lightness varies by about 55 units between one end of the stone and the other, which is among the higher readings in this category. Expect visible stripes, not an even field of colour.

Sulemani, aqeeq and hakik

Three names for one material. Aqeeq is the Arabic and Urdu name for agate, hakik the form used across the subcontinent, and sulemani the banded kind. It is chalcedony, a microcrystalline form of quartz, and it carries real cultural weight in Pakistan, where it has been worn in silver rings for generations. None of that makes one piece better material than another.

Hardness

Agate sits at 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale, hard enough for a ring worn daily. It has no cleavage planes, so it takes knocks better than many harder stones. What it does not resist is fine abrasion: household dust is about as hard as it is, so a cabochon worn every day slowly loses a little of its mirror polish. A jeweller restores that in minutes.

What has not been tested

This stone has no laboratory report, and its treatment has not been tested. Sulemani agate is sometimes dyed to sharpen the contrast between its bands, which is ordinary trade practice rather than a fault, and it cannot be judged by eye. We will not claim this one is untreated; ask us and we will arrange testing.

Care and ordering

Warm water, mild soap and a soft cloth. Avoid ultrasonic cleaners and steam while the treatment is unknown, and keep it away from bleach. One stone, sold once. Message us on WhatsApp for more photographs, and we deliver across Pakistan.

This particular stone

This listing is one natural sulemani agate with a weight of 7 Carat. Its price is Rs. 4,900 — roughly Rs. 700 for each carat. Treatment: treatment not tested. Quote reference GS-SU-0001 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 sulemani 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 sulemani 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 sulemani 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): Sulemani agate is sometimes dyed to sharpen its banding. 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.