Lapis Bead Strand

Item Description

The source of the world's finest quality Lapis Lazuli lies in Afghanistan, and it's actually one of the oldest mines in the world. Mining at Sar-E-Sang has taken place for approximately 7000 years, and has produced thousands of tons of Lapis over the years. Lapis itself is actually a rock which is composed of a few species i.e., Lazurite / Hauyne and Sodalite, plus streaks of Calcite and Pyrite. The most highly sought after Lapis is the material that shows a soild navy blue color without any streaks of white Calcite and only tiny specs of Pyrite showing. Here we have a Lapis bead strand featuring dozens of round polished stones. The piece is held together with a sterling silver clasp. All of the individual spheres have a rich navy blue hue and the fact that they are so uniform in color makes it very desirable and rather valuable. The piece measures 17 inches long (42 cm), so for most people, it can be worn as a necklace