Sterling Silver and Gemstone Jewellery

Sterling Silver and Gemstone Jewellery

IMG_0729

Malachite, Pearl and Lapis Lazuli Necklace

£60.95

Out of stock

Product Description

Malachite, Pearl and Lapis Lazuli Necklace

18″inch

Lapis Lauzuli: The ancients prized this beautiful gemstone and called it “saphirus” because of its deep blue colour and used it to produce the blue pigment “ultra marine”.  Today, Lapis is one of the most popular and affordable gemstones.  It is the alternative birthstone for September.  The best quality is from Afghanistan.  Lapis is like the cloak of an ancient magician – dark blue and black, spangled with gold.

Fresh water pearl: Once viewed by Arabians as “tears of the Gods”, these are created by certain shellfish, mainly oysters and mussels.  They form when an irritant such as a grain of sand enters the shell.  The mollusc then secretes layer upon layer of calcium carbonate, known as nacre, around the foreign body.  It is this innate defence mechanism which creates the bead of pearl.

Malachite: The name comes from Greek “mallow” (a green herb) but it is uncertain whether it refers to the green colour or to the softness of malachite.  When cut, it shows layers of lighter and darker concentric rings, parallel lines or other shapes, caused by its shell-like formation.  Large uni-coloured stones are rare.

Additional Information

Weight 51 g
Dimensions 8.5 × 20 × 3 cm