The Beautiful Lapis Lazuli

Lapis lazuli is one of the oldest and most popular stones used in handcrafted beaded jewelry today. These beautiful stones are often seen with deep blue coloration. They can be found in many places in the world however, the highest quality beads often come from mines in Chile and Afghanistan. High quality lapis lazuli will have a naturally occurring deep blue coloration with a little of the golden speckles (which are attributed to pyrite) and has very little calcite veins. This beaded jewelry is mined in Afghanistan for thousands of years. The Chile stones are often said to be as good as Afghan specimens, however Chilean lapis lazuli sources are only relatively recently discovered. There is not much difference between the two varieties(afghan and chile) in regards to beauty and usability for beaded jewelry purposes.

This wonderful beaded jewelry raw material has always been prized throughout history due to its beauty, rarity, and supposed mystical properties. Beaded jewelry made of lapis lazuli needs more care than most stones because of its unique composition. Beaded jewelry containing these stones should never be soaked in water for a long time. Preferably, the beads should be only wiped clean when every possible and contact with water must be a last resort. Because of the calcite content (particularly in inferior bead specimens), jewelry made of lapis lazuli beads must never be in contact with acidic liquids.

Like with most natural beaded jewelry stones, keep your beads away from exposure from direct sunlight. Keep these jewelry in a cool, dry, and dark place to prevent fading and corrosion due to the exposure to the elements.

Even though it requires a little more effort to maintain this beautiful stone, there is no doubt its well worth it. If you are looking for a beaded jewelry stone that has a strong history behind it, a striking appearance, and an ageless appeal, then settle for nothing less than a high quality lapis lazuli.