Lapis Lazuli Waterfall Pendant and Earring Set

Matching disks of deep blue Lapis Lazuli are used to make this pendant and earring set.  Wrapped in Sterling Silver in the "Waterfall" style.  The pendant and the earrings each measures approximately 1 1/2" long.

Lapis Lazuli is a semiprecious stone that is blue with golden flecks of pyrite and sometimes white inclusions of marble.  Deep blue is the more valued color, though the lighter shades are also used.  Lapis lazuli has been mined for thousands of years and was prized by ancient civilizations such as the Egyptians, Romans and Greeks, among others.  It was used for jewelry and decorative items.  It was even found inlaid in the funeral mask of King Tut. Ground Lapis Lazuli was used as a pigment for painting, called ultramarine.  It was very expensive but often used by the great masters.  In the 1800s a synthetic , and less expensive, blue was developed for paint so the real Lapis Lazuli pigment is only used for restoration work.  Spiritual healers believe that Lapis Lazuli has energy that helps with communication, openness, emotional strength.