A natural white topaz of 11.50 carats, about 12.64 ratti, at Rs. 23,000 – Rs. 2,000 per carat. Sold loose.

Buying it unset

Buying the stone on its own means you see all of it – the pavilion and the girdle that a setting would hide – and you choose the metal, the mount and the maker yourself. On a step cut that matters more than on most stones, because there is nowhere to hide: the long flat facets show the inside of the stone plainly, so check it loose, in daylight, before anyone sets it.

At eleven and a half carats it wants a mount made for it rather than a stock one. Given what topaz does under a knock, a bezel is the sensible choice, and on a rectangular stone it is also the cleanest-looking.

A broad step cut

This is a step cut – a rectangle with trimmed corners, long parallel facets, no brilliant-style triangles. Measured against a true rectangle and a true ellipse row by row, it fits the rectangle decisively: its outline fills about 89% of its bounding box, where an oval would fill 78.5%, and its corners are genuinely occupied.

It measures about 1.12 times as long as it is wide, which makes it the least elongated of the three step cuts here – closer to a square than to a long emerald cut, and a good deal broader on the finger than its weight suggests.

About 24% of its face carries a faint yellow-green cast, measured: middling for this parcel, which runs from under 9% to nearly 39%.

Hardness, cleavage and care

8 on the Mohs scale, harder than ordinary airborne dust, so it keeps its polish and its crisp step facets.

But topaz has perfect basal cleavage and can split cleanly under a sharp knock. A step cut has corners, and corners are where a knock lands, so a bezel or covered corners is not fussiness here. Take it off for heavy work, and keep it away from ultrasonic cleaners and sudden heat. Warm water, mild soap, a soft brush.

Treatment

Colourless topaz is usually untreated. That is the material and not this stone: the treatment of this stone has not been tested and there is no laboratory report. If you are about to commission a setting around it, that is the moment to have it tested, and we will arrange it.

Ordering

One stone, sold once. Quote GS-WT-0012 when you message us. Message us on WhatsApp for more photographs or a video, and we deliver across Pakistan.

This particular stone

This listing is one natural white topaz with a weight of 11.5 Carat. Its price is Rs. 23,000 — roughly Rs. 2,000 for each carat. Treatment: treatment not tested. Quote reference GS-WT-0012 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.

From six carats up a stone becomes the centre of attention. It wants a broader shank or a secure claw setting and suits an occasion ring, a signet or a centre pendant. Clean natural material of this size turns up far less often, and the per-carat rate reflects that.

On the Mohs scale white 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 white 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 white 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): Colourless (white) topaz is normally 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.