FREE: 17" Blue Lapis Lazuli & Sterling Silver Necklace

The listing, 17" Blue Lapis Lazuli & Sterling Silver Necklace has ended.

This is another necklace I made that is blue lapis lazuli and sterling silver. It is 17" long.

Lapis lazuli is an opaque gem stone that may range in color from brilliant, to medium royal, to dark blue. Its composition consists of a mixture of several different minerals including, the predominance of lazurite (25-40%), hüaynite, sodalite, noselite, calcite and pyrite. Small amounts of diopside, augite, mica and hornblende may also be present. Lapis lazuli generally occurs in crystalline limestone as the result of contact metamorphism.
Lapis lazuli gets its brilliant blue color from its sulfur content. The more evenly the color is distributed throughout the stone, the higher the quality, and the greater the value. Lapis generally occurs with a speckled and strained consistency, with glittering inclusions of iron pyrite. If the pyrite is well distributed, the stones beauty may be enhanced adding to its genuineness.
Because lapis lazuli is rather porous, it should never come in contact with chemicals and solvents. Lapis, having only the hardness of 5 to 5.5 should be protected from rubbing and scratching against harder stones and surfaces, such as other jewelry within a jewelry box.
Wearing lapis lazuli today is thought, as it was in ancient times, to be a symbol of truth. It is associated with healing, and may also serve as a gateway to the spirit world in certain beliefs. It is also tied to Roman Catholicism, as most paintings of the Virgin Mary created during the Middle Ages and Renaissance contained lapis. In this way, lapis lazuli may be considered both mystical and pure.