Genuine Lapis Lazuli Royal Blue Gemstone and 48 similar items

This necklace was purchased about fifteen or so years ago when Lapis first became realized in the U.S. It is from the Afghanistan - Pakistan region of the world and is part of an old stock collection that has never been worn. Lapis lazuli is found in limestone in the Kokcha River valley of Badakhshan province in North-eastern Afghanistan and other places in the world including the Americas. Lapis gemstone can be seen worn on many Kings of the Middle East in their art and jewelry creation of old. It was a highly prized gemstone among the Pharaohs of Egypt which adorned their coffins, death masks, makeup and jewelry which makes authentic vintage Lapis Lazuli even more valuable than their modern counterparts made from dust. Details: This necklace has a genuine Lapis Gemstone and is “not” reconstituted weighing in at weighs 45 grams. It is approximately 21” inches end-to-end in total. The pendant piece is 2” inches long by 1” inch wide with the stone measuring approximately 1” inch long by 10/16” inch wide by 2/16” inch thick. You can tell a genuine stone by the pyrite gold vein striations and inclusions whereas a reconstituted or compressed stone usually has a "solid" dark blue sapphire color and is created from the leftover dust in cutting away of the gemstone to create jewelry that is bonded with resin type glue. Dye or other materials might be added in the mix in order to obtain that deep royal blue color. Lapis lazuli is also commercially "synthesized" (actually simulated) by the Gilson process, using artificial ultramarine and hydrous zinc phosphates. It may be substituted by Spinel or Sodalite, or by dyed Jasper or Howlite. Although the market is soft for Lapis Lazuli today, these pieces with whole genuine stones are hard to come by and their value has increased as a result of limited production. This is an unmarked handcrafted piece as was common when they first made an appearance in popularity, and I believe this one is in a nickel metal alloy, but unsure. It could possibly 925 silver. Most of what is coming on the market today is fashioned in either Alpaca Silver or a blended copper/nickel silver alloy. This item will ship Priority Mail with Delivery Confirmation and Insurance. And no, U.S. Mail is no longer a bargain. I try very hard to give you the most reasonable inexpensive shipping price according to weight, box size and location; however, the price of shipping can include packing materials, labels, invoices, delivery confirmation and in some cases insurance. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask. FINE PRINT: As with most antique and vintage items I do not clean, polish or in any way change the content of this item due to possibly affecting its original prominence and value. I leave that decision up to the new owner and selling this item “As Is – As Found”. And… as with ANY vintage item they have been previously owned so there may be signs of normal wear. Look at pictures carefully to determine item condition for yourself before you purchase. METAPHYSICAL PROPERTIES Lapis lazuli is regarded by many people around the world as the stone of friendship and truth. The blue stone is said to encourage harmony in relationships and help its wearer to be authentic and give his or her opinion openly. Lapis Lazuli promotes self-knowledge, abundance, wisdom, honesty and communication. It is commonly called the stone of friendship. Lapis Lazuli helps release tension and anxiety from the body. Wearing this will enhance thought amplification and psychic ability. HISTORY OF LAPIS In ancient Egypt, lapis lazuli was a favorite stone for amulets and ornaments such as scarabs; it was also used in ancient Mesopotamia by the Sumerians, Akkadians, Assyrians, and Babylonians for seals and jewelry. In the Epic of Gilgamesh; the oldest known story in human history, lapis lazuli is referenced several times. Lapis jewelry has been found at excavations of the Predynastic Egyptian site Nagada (3300–3100 BC), and powdered lapis was used as eyeshadow by Cleopatra. In ancient Mesopotamia, lapis artifacts can be found in great abundance, with many notable examples having been excavated at the 25th-century BC Statue of Ebih-Il, discovered in ancient Mari in Syria, uses lapis lazuli inlays that were imported from as far east as Afghanistan. In ancient times, lapis lazuli was known as sapphire, which is the name that is used today for the blue corundum variety sapphire. It has also been used in the Taj Mahal in India. It is a relatively rare semi-precious stone that has been prized since antiquity for its intense royal blue color. Lapis lazuli was being mined in theBadakhshan province of Afghanistan as early as the 3rd millennium BC, and there are sources that are found as far east as in the region around Lake Baikal in Siberia. Trade in the stone is ancient enough for lapis jewelry to have been found at Predynastic Egyptian and ancient Sumerian sites, and as lapis beads atneolithic burials in Mehrgarh, the Caucasus, and even as far from Afghanistan as Mauritania Lapis is the Latin word for "stone" and lazuli is the genitive form of the Medieval Latin lazulum, which is taken from the Arabic ?????? l?zaward, itself from the Persian ?????? l?žaward, the name of a place where lapis lazuli was mined. Taken as a whole, lapis lazuli means "stone of L?zhward". Lapis lazuli is found in limestone in the Kokcha River valley ofBadakshan province in northeastern Afghanistan, where the Sar-e-Sang mine deposits have been worked for more than 6,000 years. Afghanistan was the source of lapis for the ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian civilizations, as well as the later Greeks and Romans. During the height of the Indus valley civilization about 2000 BC, the Harappan colony now known as Sortugai was established near the lapis mines. In addition to the Afghan deposits, lapis has been extracted for many years in the Andes (near Ovalle, Chile), the Lake Baikal region of Russia[]; Siberia; Angola; Argentina; Burma; Pakistan; Canada; India; and in the USA in California and Colorado.