Lapis Lazuli Strand Necklace
Lapis Lazuli Strand Necklace
A rich, deep blue semi-precious stone that dates back thousands of years, lapis lazuli was treasured by ancient civilizations for its beauty and metaphysical properties.lapis lazuli strand necklace Today, it's thought to reduce inflammation and help you identify the karmic roots of health issues.
Lapis lazuli, named for the cliffs in which it is found, contains some of the finest crystals of blue-colored quartz known to man.lapis lazuli strand necklace It also includes specks of golden-colored pyrite, which look like stars in a night sky. This beautiful mixture of textures gives lapis lazuli its characteristic look. A true gem, it sits in the middle of the Mohs Hardness Scale and is slightly softer than some transparent faceted gemstones such as sapphire and ruby. This is due to the inclusion of calcite, a soft mineral. Lapis lazuli is fragile and should be handled with care, especially in jewelry pieces. It is a porous stone and can be easily damaged by household cleaners or abrasives, so be careful when you wear it. It should never be worn in contact with water. Despite its fragility, lapis lazuli is an extremely durable rock. It is not as durable, however, as a rock such as granite. It can be scratched by a diamond, and by a harder stone such as emerald or garnet. Because of this, lapis lazuli should not be soaked in liquids and should not be exposed to direct sunlight for long periods of time as the color can fade with time.
The ancients prized lapis lazuli for its beauty, and it has been a staple in artistic circles for millennia. It was ground into a pigment for the precious blue paint called ultramarine, and this is why older paintings made with this paint don't fade. The ancients carved it into jewelery, encrusted tombs with it, and used it for mosaics and church wall panels. They also fashioned it into game boards, dagger handles and hair combs.
Lapis lazuli is one of the oldest opaque gemstones around, predating the discovery of some that we might consider more valuable today. The most valuable varieties come from the mines in what is now Afghanistan, but fine stones can also be found in Chile and Argentina. In the Middle Ages, painters used lapis lazuli to create the vibrant blue of the Virgin Mary's robe in paintings such as those in the Sistine Chapel.
Today, GIA's Santimer says that lapis lazuli is still a sought-after jewelry stone because of its color and quality. It's often paired with turquoise in necklaces, but you can also use it alone. The key to finding the best lapis lazuli is to look for a uniform, intense color that is lightly dusted with small flecks of golden pyrite. A purist might want a specimen that is nearly pure lapis lazurite, but most collectors are satisfied with a moderate sprinkling of pyrite. If the pyrite is too large, it becomes distracting and diminishes the beauty of the gemstone.