Description
Lapis, Natural, Faceted Round, 3mm
This price is for one strand 15 to 16 inches long
3mm strands have 128 to 133 pieces
Lapis Lazuli is a deep-blue metamorphic rock composed of multiple minerals. Its signature intense color and texture come from a combination of three main minerals: Lazurite responsible for its rich, royal blue color, glittering golden flecks of Pyrite & Calcite responsible for its white streaks or veining. High-grade lapis features minimal white calcite.
Lapis Lazuli holds a unique place in human art and history. Ancient Egypt used lapis extensively in royal jewelry, amulets, and burial ornaments, most famously in the funeral mask of King Tutankhamen. During the renaissance era lapis was ground into a fine powder to produce ultramarine, the most expensive blue pigment in history. Renaissance painters reserved it for high-value subjects, such as the robes of the Virgin Mary.
While sapphire is the primary modern birthstone for September, lapis lazuli is recognized as an official alternative/secondary birthstone for September added by the American Gem Trade Association
Lapis lazuli is mined in only a few places worldwide because it requires very specific metamorphic conditions (limestone contacting magma) to form. Major sources include Afghanistan, Chile, Russia & smaller deposits found in minor quantities in Tajikistan, Pakistan, Myanmar, Canada, and the United States: Colorado & California
Hardness 5-6
The source of these beads is China and they are cut, drilled and polished in China
