Karachi is the largest city in Pakistan. It is the world's second largest city proper behind Mumbai in terms of population, which exceeds 10 million. In terms of metropolitan population, it is the twentieth largest city of the world, and is Pakistan's premier center of banking, industry, and trade. Karachi is also the home of Pakistan's largest corporations that are involved in entertainment, arts, fashion, advertising, publishing, software development and medical research. It also serves as a major hub of higher education in South Asia, and the wider Islamic World. Karachi enjoys its prominent position, due to its geographical location on a bay, making it the financial capital of the country. It is one of the fastest growing cities of the South Asia. It was the original capital of Pakistan until the construction of Islamabad, and is the location of Karachi Port, one of the region's largest and busiest ports. The city's population has increased dramatically after the partition of British India forced hundreds of thousands of Urdu speaking "Mohajirs"(Refugees from India) to settle in the city. Since independence from Britain in 1947, the city's vibrant economy has attracted migrants from all over Pakistan, surrounding countries such as Iran, Tajikistan, Burma, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and further beyond. Despite a history of political turmoil, the city continues to attract those seeking prosperity and has shown consistent growth. Karachi city is spread over 3,530 km² (1,363 sq mi) in area. It is locally known as the "City of Lights" for its liveliness, and the "City of the Quaid", having been the birth and burial place of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, who also made the city his home after Pakistan's independence.

Loose Stones

Some people purchase loose stones for jewelry making, while others do so for investment purposes. Still others are looking for the perfect stone to have made into a piece of jewelry by a custom jeweler. Most gemstones are minerals, but some rocks such as lapis lazuli and organic materials like pearls or amber considered as such. Today, four stones are precious stones: diamond, emerald, ruby, and sapphire. Everything else falls under the category of semi-precious stones. When purchase loose stones, obviously should only deal with a reputable jeweler that trust, online or in person. Always get a certificate from the seller and be sure exactly what are purchasing. Diamonds are the only gemstones that have a universally accepted grading system based on the concept of the four C’s: color, cut, carat, and clarity. Clarity is determined by placing the diamond under 10X magnification. However, cut is most important for the value of a clear diamond, because without the proper cut, the diamond will not sparkle, as it should. Clarity and color are next in importance. All other gemstones grade with the naked eye. The quality of all colored stones based on the clarity and brilliance of the stone’s color, which divided into three parts: hue, saturation, and tone. Hue refers to the stone’s color, which produced in the following spectral hues: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, purple and pink. Purple and pink are spectral hues, as purple lies halfway between red and blue, and pink is really a lighter shade of red. Natural stones seldom have pure hues, so these are into primary, secondary, and sometimes tertiary hues. Saturation refers to the clarity of color, or the stone’s freedom from brown or grey hues.