NATURAL DEEP BLUE COLOR !! THE SILK ROAD STONE, DIRECT FROM HIMMALAYA !!  
                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
  Rare HANDMADE NATURAL ANCIENT GIANT LAPIS LAZULI SILVER PENDANT !!!    MUSEUM QUALITY !!!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    
SIZE :  63 x 58 mm      Weight: 290 cts                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
  Direclty extracted & cut from PAKISTAN MINES  HANDMADE TRIBAL JEWELLRY , 100 Years Old !!!

NATURAL COLOR & DESIGN, 100 % NATURAL GEMSTONE

Lapis lazuli  : is a gemstone straight out of fairy tales of the Arabian Nights: deepest blue with golden shining Pyrite inclusions which twinkle like little stars. This opaque, deep blue gemstone looks back at a long history. It was one of the first stones ever to be used and worn for jewelry. Excavations in the antique cultural centres all around the Mediterranean provided archeologists with samples for jewelry which was left in tombs to accompany the deceased into the hereafter. Again and again this jewelry consisted of necklaces and objects crafted from Lapis lazuli – the clear indication that thousands of years ago the people in Mesopotamia, Egypt, Persia, Greece and Rome cherished deep blue Lapis lazuli. It is reported that at the legendary city of Ur situated on the Euphrates River, there was a busy trade in Lapis lazuli as early as four thousand years BC. In those days the stones were mined in the famous occurrences in Afghanistan. But in other cultures Lapis lazuli was also worshipped as a holy stone. Especially in the oriental countries it was considered as a gemstone with magical powers. Numerous seals, rings, scarabs and objects were crafted from the blue stone, which was introduced to Europe by Alexander the Great. Here the color was called „ultramarine“, meaning „from beyond the seas“. Most expensive blue of all times The evocative name is a compound of „lapis“, the Latin word for stone, and the Arabian word „azul“, denoting the color blue. So it is basically just a blue stone – but what a special blue! The value of this color for the world of art was for example enormous: in fact the ultramarine blue paint used by the Grand Old Masters was nothing else but pulverized Lapis lazuli. It was pulverized and added to a mixture of binding agents, thus turning the marble-like gemstone into a bright blue paint, suitable for watercolors, tempera and oil paintings. Before it became possible in 1834 to manufacture this color also artificially, the only kind of valuable ultramarine in the market had to be made from real Lapis lazuli, which still displays its splendour in many works of art. For example, many portraits of the Virgin Mary would have been impossible to create without Lapis lazuli blue. However, even in those days ultramarine blue was not only considered fine and rare and so powerful that it dulled all other colors, it was also very expensive indeed. But contrary to all other material employed to create the color blue, Lapis lazuli has not lost anything of its brilliance, while other compositions have long since paled. Stone of friendship and truth For many people all over the world Lapis lazuli is considered a stone of truth and friendship. The blue stone is reputed to bring about harmony in relationships and to help its wearer being an authentic individual who may openly state his or her opinion. Lapis lazuli is an opaque stone consisting mainly of Diopside and Lasurite. It was created millions of years ago in the course of metamorphosis process turning chalk into marble stone. When unpolished, Lapis lazuli seems dull and dark blue, often with golden inclusions and whitish veins from marble. Contrary to former theories, however, the small twinkling and shining inclusions which lend the stone the attractive appeal of a star-spangled sky, are not gold but Pyrite, i.e., they are caused by iron. The blue color, on the other hand, is caused by the sulfuric contents of Lasurite, and may result in purest ultramarine to pale blue shades. In comparison to other gemstones, the hardness is not too high and amounts to something between 5 and 6 on the Mohs’ scale.When the cutter inhales the stone … Many a cutter will make a face when cutting Lapis lazuli, because as soon as the stone comes into contact with the cutting wheel, it will emanate a typical, slightly foul smell. An experienced cutter will thus recognize from the smell alone the satiation of color shown by the stone. When polishing the stone it must be treated gently and without too much pressure due to its low hardness. But no need to worry: a Lapis lazuli which has dulled because of having been worn too often may be easily polished up. Lapis lazuli is often surface sealed with colorless wax or synthetic resin. As long as no color is added during this procedure, the sealing only serves to improve the resistance of the stone against wearing. Still, it should definitely be protected from contact with acid substances or from extravagant exposure to sunlight. Just like over 50,000 years ago, the best rough stones are still mined in the rough Hindu Kush Mountains of Afghanistan. Forcefully extracted from the rocks, the blue stone nodes are transported on donkeys from the rough mountain ranges in Northeast Afghanistan down to the valleys in the summer months.   The most favored color is a deep and intensive blue. Women with a fair complexion, however, often prefer the lighter blues. Finely distributed crystals resembling glimmer, from golden Pyrite, will increase the value of the gemstone, while an irregular, pronounced or spotty patterning will reduce it. Lapis lazuli is a highly appreciated stone suitable for many purposes, which shows remarkable stability ion the light of quickly changing fashion trends. This is not too surprising, after all, its fairy-tale color and its golden Pyrite light reflections have been fascinating men and women for thousands of years History : Bactria is an ancient country lying between the mountains of the Hindu Kush and the ancient Oxus River and dates to circa the late 3rd to the early 1st millennium B.C.   Bactria was the Greek name for the area of Bactra (modern Balkh, Afghanistan)   In the 1st millennium B.C. and later, Bactria was especially important from about 600 B.C., serving for much of the time as a meeting place not only for overland trade between East and West but also for the crosscurrents of religious and artistic ideas. Bactria's capital was Bactra, also called Bactra-Zariaspa (modern Balkh, Afghanistan). Bactria was a fertile country, and a profusion of mounds and abandoned water channels testifies to its ancient prosperity.   The Greco-Bactrian Kingdom (or Graeco-Bactrian Kingdom) covered the areas of Bactria, the easternmost area of the Hellenistic world, from 250 B.C. to 125 B.C.   The expansion of the Greco-Bactrian Empire into northern India from 180 B.C. established the Indo-Greek Kingdom.   **************************************************************************** -Les Pierres sont des idées, elles passent devant nos yeux comme les  nuages sur le monde. Des reflets multicolores, des silences, des oiseaux... Après quelques années de tour du monde, j'ai décidé de faire partager les petites merveilles glanées ça et là sur les différents continents de mon voyage.            Ces Bijoux ne sont pas de la FANTAISIE, Ils sont le résultat d'années de Recherches et d'Assemblages.                                            Depuis l'antiquité, chaque peuple a élaboré sa propre compréhension des choses, sa propre relation avec son environnement... Les Perles et les Minéraux ont servi tour à tour de MONNAIE en AFRIQUE, de PROTECTION dans le SAHARA, de PARURE GUERRIERE en AMAZONIE, de CARTE D'IDENTITE en AMERIQUE DU NORD, de CARTE BLEUE sur la Route de la SOIE, de SPIRITUALITE dans l'HIMMALAYA...etc                                                                J'essaie donc Humblement de rendre hommage à tous ces peuples et à toutes ces traditions, en m'inspirant de leurs divers Artisanats , pour concocter les Colliers ici présentés. En y ajoutant en outre, les propriétés lithotérapeutiques de certains minéraux: Guérison du Coeur avec le Quartz Rose, Vitalité avec le Grenat, Joie de Vivre avec la Cornaline, Courage avec l'Aigue Marine, Spiritualité avec l'Améthyste, Pacification avec le Lapis-Lazuli,  Protection avec la Turquoise et la malachite...etc...                                                                                                                                                Chacun de ces colliers est une Pièce Unique conçue exclusivement pour vous à partir de Perles Anciennes et de Minéraux Puissants Pour vous transmettre leur Beauté, leur Histoire et leur Energie... Chacun est une petite oeuvre d'art, un poème, une peinture à porter autour de votre cou!                                                                                                                                " IL Y A DES PIERRES DANS LESQUELLES TOUTE LA GLOIRE DE                      LA NATURE EST COMME CONCENTREE, DE SORTE QU'UNE SEULE PIERRE SUFFIT A CERTAINS HOMMES POUR QU'ILS POSSEDENT                                                LA CONTEMPLATION  SUPREME ET ABSOLUE DE LA NATURE."  Pline l'Ancien -------------------- One of the most intriguing aspects to these beads is how they have survived a hundred or more years of wear and the travel through at least three continents. Another mystery is who wore them before us who will have them next.......after us. We will chip to world wide, prioritar or economic as you want, contact us, we combine all additional items for free. Pour la France et l'europe tarif prioritaire et économiques. Contact-me for all questions, it will be a pleasure to answer!!