A natural yellow agate – zard aqeeq – of 12.75 carats, about 14.01 ratti, at Rs. 8,900 – roughly Rs. 698 per carat.

What yellow agate actually is

Agate is a chalcedony: silica that grew as microscopic fibres packed together rather than as one single crystal. That fibrous structure is why agate is tough rather than brittle, why it takes a glassy polish, and why it so often shows banding. It forms in cavities in volcanic rock, layer by layer, which is where the bands come from.

Zard aqeeq is simply the yellow one. It is not rare, and nobody should sell it to you as rare. What makes one stone better than another is size, evenness of colour, and the quality of the dome and polish.

What this one is

An oval cabochon, confirmed by comparing the stone's width at every row against a true ellipse – it is among the closest in this category to a real ellipse. It runs about 1.30 times as long as it is wide, with its outline filling about 82% of its bounding box where a perfect ellipse fills 78.5%. A standard oval mount will take it without a jeweller cutting a special seat.

On colour it sits among the softer, less saturated stones here, with almost no warm zoning – an even, translucent, middle-of-the-road yellow. At nearly thirteen carats it is a substantial stone: a broad gents' ring, or a pendant that will be noticed.

One of a consistent parcel

All twenty-two yellow agates in this category run at about Rs. 700 per carat, from Rs. 695 to Rs. 708, which is flat within rounding. You are choosing size, shape and colour here rather than grade.

Dye, said plainly

Yellow agate is often dyed. That is this site's own disclosure for the stone. Agate is porous enough to take colour readily and a great deal of the bright yellow agate on the market has had help; disclosed, that is a normal and old practice rather than a deception, and the colour is stable if the stone is treated sensibly.

The treatment of this stone has not been tested and there is no laboratory report. We will arrange independent testing on request.

Hardness and care

At 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale agate is roughly as hard as the dust in ordinary air, which is why it keeps its polish where softer stones dull, and it has no cleavage plane to split along. Warm water, mild soap and a soft cloth; no solvents, no harsh cleaners, and keep it out of prolonged strong sunlight.

Ordering

One stone, sold once. Quote GS-YE-0011 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 yellow agate with a weight of 12.75 Carat. Its price is Rs. 8,900 — roughly Rs. 698 for each carat. Treatment: treatment not tested. Quote reference GS-YE-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 yellow 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 yellow 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 yellow 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): Yellow agate is often dyed. 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.