Lapis Lazuli Necklaces

Lapis Lazuli is a striking and majestic blue gemstone that is associated with royalty. It is claimed that lapis lazuli can help expand one’s viewpoint and is a cure for sadness and fevers. It was a gemstone highly prized in Egypt and Babylonia, where it was worn by royalty. Lapis Lazuli is the faithful anniversary stone for the lucky 7th and 9th years of marriage.

Of all the gemstones, nothing is quite as vivid and striking as the deep royal blue of lapis jewelry. A lapis necklace certainly makes its appearance known around any neck. Lapis jewelry has been worn for thousands of years, dating back to Babylon and Egypt, and the name “lapis” is actually derived from an old Arabic word meaning “blue” or “sky”. Remarkably, lapis gemstones at one time were valued on equal footing with gold and were viewed as one of the Earth’s most precious commodities.

  In ancient times, lapis gemstones were grounded down and used as a pigment for paints. Grounded lapis gemstone was also used as medicine and for cosmetic purposes. Some of the tombs of Pharaohs from ancient Egypt were discovered containing gold and, of course, lapis gems. Lapis jewelry and lapis gemstones have also been discovered at burial sites more than a thousand years old. The gemstone of lapis has been mined for more than 6,000 years in Afghanistan.

   Today, there is plenty of good quality lapis gemstone available, making it affordable for almost everyone. Although lapis jewelry is not often worn, the right lapis necklace or lapis earrings can make quite a statement. Unlike some other gemstones, lapis is technically a rock, made mostly of three minerals: calcite, pyrite and lazurite. Lapis has a hardness of 5.5-6.0 on the Mohs scale and is often dyed to improve its color.

  Lapis necklaces and lapis jewelry represent the 7th and 9th years of matrimony. Lapis is traditionally viewed as the birthstone of December and astrological signs of Capricorn and Libra. Royalty from years past often wore lapis jewelry and it is said that lapis gems would protect the wearer from evil. Lapis gemstones can also help expand the mind, including connecting the heart with the mind. Lapis jewelry was also worn to help protect against sickness and remedy depression.