A natural white agate – safed aqeeq – of 22.40 carats, about 24.62 ratti, at Rs. 15,700 – roughly Rs. 701 per carat.

What "premium" means here, and what it does not

The word is on the label, so it should be defined rather than left to do vague work.

What it does mean. This is the largest stone in this category at 22.40 carats, where the smallest is 20.80, and the dearest in total at Rs. 15,700. It is also the brightest of the eleven measured across the face, and the least elongated at about 1.27 long-to-short, which is the most classically proportioned oval of the group. Its outline fills 78.5% of its bounding box – exactly the figure of a true ellipse.

What it does not mean. Its rate is Rs. 701 per carat, which is the same as everything else here; across the eleven the rate runs from Rs. 698 to Rs. 702. You are paying more in total because the stone is bigger, not because it has been judged finer. These eleven are a matched parcel, and we are not going to invent a grade to justify the top of it.

It also does not mean graded. No stone in this category has a laboratory report, this one included.

Dye, and the one honest advantage of white

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 to deepen its colour.

White agate is usually untreated. Nobody dyes a stone the colour it already is, which makes white the one aqeeq colour where the flattering answer and the honest answer agree. Still a statement about the material: the treatment of this stone has not been tested and there is no laboratory report.

Hardness and wear

Agate is a chalcedony – cryptocrystalline quartz – at 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale, about as hard as the quartz in ordinary airborne dust, with no cleavage plane to split along. At this size it suits a broad gents' ring, a large pendant or a cufflink, and will want a mount made for it. Warm water, mild soap and 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 22.4 Carat. Its price is Rs. 15,700 — roughly Rs. 701 for each carat. Treatment: treatment not tested. Quote reference GS-WH-0011 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.