A natural sunstone of 5.80 carats, about 6.37 ratti, at Rs. 1,310 – roughly Rs. 226 per carat. It is the smallest stone in this category and both the lowest total price and the lowest rate per carat in it.

How sunstone is actually priced

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

Sunstone is a feldspar, and feldspar is the most common mineral group in the earth's crust. It is not rare and it is not expensive. What you are paying for is the aventurescence – the metallic glitter thrown by tiny copper platelets inside the stone – and then the colour, the cutting and the polish. A stone with a strong, lively schiller costs several times one without, at the same weight.

Across the ten stones in this category our rate runs from about Rs. 226 to Rs. 282 per carat. That is a spread of roughly a quarter, which for a material this inexpensive is mostly a judgement about how much the stone sparkles. 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 brown with roughly 4% reading as bright orange. In the hand that is a warm cinnamon-brown stone rather than the vivid orange that the sunstone name sometimes suggests. Its sparkle measures 1.27% of the face, near the bottom of this tray, where the liveliest stone here reaches 3.37%. This is an honest entry-level sunstone, and it is priced as one.

Softer than you expect

Sunstone sits at 6 to 6.5 on the Mohs scale, and that matters more than it sounds. Ordinary household dust contains quartz at about 7, which means dust is harder than this stone. A sunstone worn daily in a ring will slowly lose its polish simply from being wiped and handled. That is normal rather than a defect, and a jeweller can re-polish it cheaply, but it is worth knowing before you choose a setting.

What has not been tested

Sunstone is usually untreated, which is the honest general position for this material. But this particular stone has no laboratory report and its treatment has not been tested, so we are telling you the trade norm, not a fact about this stone. Ask us and we will arrange testing.

Care and ordering

Warm water, mild soap and a soft cloth. Avoid ultrasonic cleaners and steam, which feldspar does not take well, and store it apart from harder stones. One stone, sold once. Message us on WhatsApp for more photographs, and we deliver across Pakistan.

This particular stone

This listing is one natural sunstone with a weight of 5.8 Carat. Its price is Rs. 1,310 — roughly Rs. 226 for each carat. Treatment: treatment not tested. Quote reference GS-SS-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.

Between two and six carats is the range most people choose for a gents' ring or a noticeable pendant. Here colour drives the price more than size does, which is why two stones of near-identical weight can be priced very differently.

On the Mohs scale sunstone rates 6 to 6.5. 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 sunstone 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 sunstone 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): Sunstone 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.