A natural yellow sapphire – pukhraj – of 3.55 carats, about 3.90 ratti, at Rs. 17,750 – Rs. 5,000 per carat. Sold loose.

The lowest rate on this page, and we will not pretend to know why

Most stones in this category are priced at about Rs. 7,500 per carat. This one is at Rs. 5,000, which is the lowest rate among the twenty stones on this page, shared with one other.

The honest position is that nothing in our records explains the difference. Clarity is noted on only three stones in this group and this is not one of them; shape, cut and dimensions are not recorded for any of them. So we are not going to tell you it is a lesser stone, and we are not going to tell you it is a bargain. It is priced lower, the reason is not written down, and you should look at it before you buy.

That is exactly what buying loose and paying on delivery is for.

Buying it unset

Loose, you see the whole stone – the pavilion and the girdle a setting would hide – and you choose the metal, the mount and the maker yourself. At three and a half carats it is big enough to be the centre of a ring or a pendant.

Sapphire is 9 on the Mohs scale, second only to diamond, with no cleavage plane to split along, so it is forgiving of a jeweller setting it and of the years afterwards.

Colour

Our record for this stone gives its colour as golden yellow. That is the record, not a reading of the photograph.

About the photograph

The image on this listing is a catalogue photograph of a yellow sapphire, not a photograph of this individual stone. The same picture appears across this category in slightly different crops. Since you are buying this one loose and will be commissioning a setting around it, that matters more than usual.

Message us on WhatsApp quoting GS-000467 and we will photograph and film this exact stone before you order.

Heating

Most yellow sapphire is heated to deepen and even out its colour – standard, stable and permanent, with unheated stones commanding a premium because they are less common. The treatment of this stone has not been tested and there is no laboratory report. If you are about to commission a setting, that is the moment to have it tested, and we will arrange it.

Buying it

Cash on Delivery across Pakistan, seven-day returns. Quote GS-000467.

This particular stone

This listing is one natural yellow sapphire, known in Urdu as Pukhraj, with a weight of 3.55 Carat. Its price is Rs. 17,750 — roughly Rs. 5,000 for each carat. Treatment: treatment not tested. Quote reference GS-000467 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.

Between two and six carats is the range most people choose for a gents' ring or a noticeable pendant. Here colour drives the price more than size does, which is why two stones of near-identical weight can be priced very differently.

On the Mohs scale yellow sapphire rates 9. 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 yellow sapphire 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 sapphire 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): Most yellow sapphire (pukhraj) is heated to deepen and even out the colour; unheated stones exist and command a premium. 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.