A natural topaz of 3.35 carats, about 3.68 ratti, at Rs. 9,600 – roughly Rs. 2,866 per carat. It is the smallest stone in this category, where the largest weighs 18.95 carats. Its colour is recorded as light blue.

Small, and priced accordingly

The rate looks high next to the large stones here, which sit at Rs. 2,000 per carat. That is how it usually goes: cutting and polishing cost much the same whatever the weight, so on a small stone the work is spread over fewer carats. On total price this is among the least expensive stones in the category.

For everyday jewellery the size is an advantage rather than a compromise. It sets into stock mounts, sits flat in a pendant, and is light enough for earrings.

What it looks like

About 87% of its face reads as blue and 46% as a strong saturated blue, with roughly 12% near-colourless. Recorded as light blue, which is fair: clearly blue, not deep. Its outline is a rounded rectangle about 1.53 times as long as it is wide, filling about 85% of its bounding box.

Where the blue comes from

Almost all blue topaz is irradiated and then heated. Natural blue topaz exists but is rare and very faint; the blues on the market begin as colourless topaz, are irradiated to create a colour centre and heated to fix it. The colour is permanent and the practice is standard throughout the trade. It is also why blue topaz is an inexpensive stone.

For this stone the treatment has not been tested and there is no laboratory report.

Mohs 8, and the cleavage

Topaz is 8 on the Mohs scale, harder than quartz, so it holds a polish well. But it has perfect basal cleavage: a plane along which a knock can split it cleanly regardless of hardness. For a small stone worn daily, a bezel is the sensible setting, and it should never go in an ultrasonic cleaner or be steamed. Warm water, mild soap and a soft brush.

Ordering

One stone, sold once. Message us on WhatsApp for more photographs or a video, and we deliver across Pakistan.

This particular stone

This listing is one natural topaz, known in Urdu as Sunehla, with a weight of 3.35 Carat. Its price is Rs. 9,600 — roughly Rs. 2,866 for each carat. Treatment: treatment not tested. Quote reference GS-000487 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 topaz rates 8. Few materials will scratch it, so it copes well with everyday ring wear. A soak in warm water with a drop of mild soap and a soft brush keeps it bright; skip the ultrasonic cleaner if inclusions reach the surface.

Whoever you buy topaz 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 topaz 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): Yellow and golden topaz is usually untreated, though some colours are produced by heating. 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.