A natural white agate – safed aqeeq – of 21.80 carats, about 23.96 ratti, at Rs. 15,300 – roughly Rs. 702 per carat.

Why agate is a sensible men's ring stone

Most of the trouble people have with gemstone rings comes from stones that are either soft or prone to splitting. Agate is neither.

At 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale it is a quartz, and roughly as hard as the dust in ordinary air – which is what dulls softer stones. It has no cleavage plane to split along, unlike topaz or tanzanite, so a knock that would ruin those simply does not bother it. And a cabochon, a smooth dome with no faceted edges, is the most forgiving shape there is in a ring worn every day.

At nearly twenty-two carats this is a broad stone that fills a gents' silver ring properly. Ask for a bezel; on a dome it is also the easiest setting to make.

The warmest, softest white here

Measured across the photograph this stone carries the warmest tone of the eleven in this category, with no cool blue in it at all, and it shows a strong glow where light passes through the dome rather than stopping at the surface. Its outline fills 78.5% of its bounding box – exactly what a true ellipse fills.

Dye, and why white is the easy colour

Our disclosures across the site: black agate is almost always dyed, strong green agate is usually dyed, yellow agate is often dyed, red agate is often heated or dyed. White agate is usually untreated, because nobody dyes a stone the colour it already is.

That is about the material. The treatment of this stone has not been tested and there is no laboratory report.

Care

Warm water, mild soap and a soft cloth. Avoid harsh cleaners and sudden heat. Take it off for heavy work, not because it will break, but because silver scratches.

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 white agate with a weight of 21.8 Carat. Its price is Rs. 15,300 — roughly Rs. 702 for each carat. Treatment: treatment not tested. Quote reference GS-WH-0006 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 white 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 white 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 white 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): White agate 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.