The Hues of Lapis Lazuli

Lapis Lazuli is a rock, a contact metamorphoses limestone that contains lazurite. It also is known to contain pyrite, the added sparkle of golden-yellow and white flakes of calcite. Other trace minerals can include hauuyne, sodalite, diopside, feldspar, mica, apatite, and zircon just to name a few. The stone was once powdered and mixed with oil to produce the pigment ultramarine(literally, 'beyond the sea'), which is seen in the beautiful blues of Renaissance paintings. Lapis is Latin for “stone”. The names of both lazulie and lazurite are derived from the Persian word Lazbuward and Latin word Lazulum, meaning “blue” or “heaven”. The lapis lazuli name, often shorted to lapis, is sometimes mistakenly used for the mineral lazurite.

The ancient Egyptians used it extensively in religious ceremonies, and lapis items were found in the tomb of Tutankhamen. It was a popular stone in Mesopotamia, Persia, and the ancient city of Ur, which had a large trade in lapis lazuli. The Greeks and Romans used it as a reward for bravery. The ancients also employed it for inlaid work and for jewelry, amulets, and talismans.

The value of lapis lazuli is largely determined by the abundance and color of the dark intense blue lazurite. The colors range from greenish-blue to purple-blue. The flecks of gold pyrite and white calcite can often increase the value or, when too numerous or too large, decrease it.

This new design features deep blue lapis lazuli stones with flecks of pyrite, disks of natural kyanite, faceted crystals and at the center an old style metal cloisonne round pendant; the blue hues bring out the best in the lapis and kyanite.

Traditionally Lapis Lazuli Properties: Wisdom, intuition, awareness, objectivity, clarity, creativity, expanded consciousness, dreams, purity, courage, serenity.

Visit Timeless Designs online at Ruby Lane to discover your next royal treasure; hidden among our custom artisan jewelry collections!

Denim Lapis Red Coral

A stone from nature that is lighter than Lapis Lazuli is Denim Lapis. Much lighter than the deep blues of lapis lazuli, denim lapis is lighter in color and has ‘floating’ shades of cream or white. It is just as pretty as the blues sometimes appear to be ‘flecks’ of blue surrounding the white clouds.

This new design from the studio is from Denim Lapis, with beige ceramic beads and a ‘pop’ hint of red Coral, scattered Sterling Silver beads and pewter end caps. A smart design that says ‘sassy, flirty, classy’ all in one flattering piece!

This is many others of nature’s creations available on the website.

Gemstones Raw & Finsished

I get asked all the time “What does this stone look like raw?” I’ve made it one of my goals this year to collect some of my favorites and most used stones in their raw form. I’ll be adding them to pictures with their finished partners, as displays at shows and of course talking about them here on this blog. Here’s the first of a many to come that I’ve collected from Tucson and also a local lapidary shop.



Red Mexican Lace Agate
A common, semiprecious type of chalcedony agate is the compact, microcrystalline variety of quartz. This variety is mined in Mexico and named for it’s deep red banding matrix that gives the stone an almost ‘lacy’ effect.




Rhononite
This stone gets its name from the Greek word rhodon, meaning “rose”, which is the mineral’s typical color. It occurs as rounded crystals, masses or grains, and is often coated or veined black with manganese oxides.



Kyanite
Known more for its deep dark blue coloring, Kyanite occurs principally as elongated, flattened blades, and less commonly as shaped beads or pendants.



Lapis Lazuli
Lapis Lazuli is one of the oldest, most treasured of all gemstones. Its name is a combination of the Latin lapis for “stone” and the Arabic azul for “sky” or the ancient Persian lazhuward for “blue”. It usually occurs as pockets of white marble with spots or matrix of pyrite.