A natural white agate – safed aqeeq – of 21.85 carats, about 24.01 ratti, at Rs. 15,300 – Rs. 700 per carat.

What a stone this size suits

Nearly twenty-two carats is a substantial stone, and in women's jewellery that points away from a solitaire ring and towards a pendant, a brooch or a statement cocktail ring. It is light for its size – agate is not a dense material – so a pendant of this scale sits comfortably on an ordinary chain rather than dragging.

The shape helps: an oval cabochon about 1.37 times as long as it is wide, filling about 77% of its bounding box. That is a conventional, easily-set proportion, and a smooth dome catches light from any angle without the hard glitter of a faceted stone.

A warm, translucent white

Measured across the photograph this is one of the warmer stones of the eleven here, with no cool blue in it, and the light that enters the dome comes back with a soft cream glow rather than stopping at the surface. Against both silver and yellow gold it reads as soft rather than stark.

The dye question, answered in white agate's favour

Agate takes dye readily and most coloured agate has had help. Our published disclosures: 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 – there is no commercial sense in dyeing a stone the colour it already is. But that is a statement about the material: the treatment of this stone has not been tested and there is no laboratory report. We will arrange testing if you want it.

Hardness and wear

6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale, a quartz, about as hard as ordinary airborne dust and with no cleavage plane to split along. For a piece worn often that is as easy as coloured stones get. Warm water, mild soap, a soft cloth.

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 21.85 Carat. Its price is Rs. 15,300 — roughly Rs. 700 for each carat. Treatment: treatment not tested. Quote reference GS-WH-0007 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.