Emerald & Lapis Drop Necklace

17.5” long; Emerald briolette, Lapis disc, sterling silver wire, chain & clasp.

Emerald is a green variety of Beryl and it’s natural pigment comes from chrome. The world ‘emerald’ comes from the Greek word ‘smaragdos’ which means green stone and in ancient times was applied to many other green stones. Emerald is the most precious stone in the beryl group and only the finest specimens are transparent. Often, emerald is more opaque with inclusions which is considered evidence as to the genuineness of the stone when compared to synthetic imitations. Early mining was done as far back as 1300 B.C. in Egypt but after the Spanish invaded South America in the 1500s, they found Emeralds that far surpassed the Egyptian sources and since then those deposits came to dominate the trade. However, gem-quality Emeralds are also sound in Russia and Africa. 

Lapis Lazuli (Arabic and Latin for 'blue stone') is actually composed of several minerals which causes a wide range in the scientific data of the stone. The coloring agent is sulfur, and Chilean and Russian Lapis are known to have more Calcite in them which is why there is a lot of white in those stones. For 6,000 years the deposit producing the finest specimens was located in the mountains of Afghanistan. Lapis promotes inner vision & truthful communication.