lapis lazuli gemstone – YAN

Lapis Lazuli Necklaces, Earrings & Gemstone Bead Bracelets

Gareth — Thu, 05 Aug 2021 03:11:32 +0000

Lapis Lazuli Necklaces, Earrings & Gemstone Bead Bracelets

Lapis Lazuli necklaces and earrings with lapis lazuli bracelets including lapis lazuli pendants matching agate and moonstone bead in blue colours.
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YAN Blue Bracelet Lapis Lazuli & Agate Small Bracelet Style

Vibrant - Lapis Lazuli - Blue

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YAN Blue Teardrop Pendant Necklace Lapis Lazuli & Moonstone Long Necklace Style

Canvas - Lapis Lazuli - Blue

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YAN Blue Bead Bracelet Lapis Lazuli & Moonstone Small Bracelet Style

Canvas - Lapis Lazuli - Blue

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YAN Blue Earrings Lapis Lazuli & S925 Silver Dangle Earrings Style

Canvas - Lapis Lazuli - Blue

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YAN Blue Pendant Necklace Lapis Lazuli & Chalcedony Long Necklace Style

Oriental - Lapis Lazuli - Blue

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Beautiful Lapis Lazuli Gemstone

Read about the history of lapis lazuli gemstone from ancient Egypt to Sumeria, it’s use in fashion past and present with photos of our designer jewelry
< YAN Gemstone Jewellery

YAN Blue Bracelet Lapis Lazuli & Agate Small Bracelet Style

Vibrant - Lapis Lazuli - Blue

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YAN Blue Teardrop Pendant Necklace Lapis Lazuli & Moonstone Long Necklace Style

Canvas - Lapis Lazuli - Blue

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YAN Blue Bead Bracelet Lapis Lazuli & Moonstone Small Bracelet Style

Canvas - Lapis Lazuli - Blue

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YAN Blue Earrings Lapis Lazuli & S925 Silver Dangle Earrings Style

Canvas - Lapis Lazuli - Blue

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YAN Blue Pendant Necklace Lapis Lazuli & Chalcedony Long Necklace Style

Oriental - Lapis Lazuli - Blue

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Lapis Lazuli Necklaces, Earrings & Gemstone Bead Bracelets

The vibrant blue colour of lapis projects a youthful energy and natural colour when matched to apparel further set off when contrasted against white agate and lighter gemstones in selected designs

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YAN Chalcedony Pendant Necklace Bodhi Bead & Quartz Long Necklace Style

Rainbow - Bodhi Root - Multi Colour

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YAN Natural Bead Bracelet Bodhi Bead & Quartz Long Bracelet Style

Rainbow - Bodhi Root - Multi Colour

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YAN Red Pendant Necklace Garnet & Agate Long Necklace Style

Rainbow - Garnet - Red

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YAN Rainbow Bead Necklace Tourmaline & Quartz Small Necklace Style

Rainbow - Tourmaline - Multi Colour

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YAN Rainbow Bead Necklace Tourmaline & Quartz Short Necklace Style

Rainbow - Tourmaline - Multi Colour

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YAN Rainbow Bead Necklace Jade & Lapis Lazuli Short Necklace Style

Rainbow - Jade - Multi Colour

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YAN Rainbow Bead Bracelet Jade & Lapis Lazuli Long Bracelet Style

Rainbow - Jade - Multi Colour

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YAN Rainbow Pendant Necklace Tourmaline & Agate Long Necklace Style

Rainbow - Tourmaline - Multi Colour

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YAN Rainbow Star Pendant Necklace Tourmaline & Agate Small Necklace Style

Rainbow - Tourmaline - Multi Colour

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YAN Rainbow Bead Necklace Tourmaline & Agate Small Necklace Style

Rainbow - Tourmaline - Multi Colour

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YAN Rainbow Leaf Pendant Necklace Tourmaline & Quartz Small Necklace Style

Rainbow - Tourmaline - Multi Colour

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YAN Rainbow Bead Pendant Bracelet Tourmaline & Quartz Long Bracelet Style

Rainbow - Tourmaline - Multi Colour

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Quartz Jewelry Beautiful Family

Quartz is a diverse gemstone family with many members that add distinctive colour and recognisable traits to fashionable quartz jewelry necklaces and bracelets
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Quartz crystals readily discovered by sifting flowing waters for rock crystals and visibly distinguished from surrounding sedimentary rocks in veins and outcrops have been natural sources of precious stone jewelry for ancient cultures dating from pre history.

Notably more weathering resistant than surrounding parent rock, the passing of time served to expose this beautiful crystal to early cultures when clearly juxtaposing itself in natural seams exposed against surrounding layered rock, and gave immediate spiritual and material benefits to those societies who discovered it.

Slighter hardier than steel on the Mohr scale quartz was highly valued in ancient culture as hand knapped axes with it’s prized use in this lithic stone technology being one of the longest continuous uses of technology to date.

The beads of these phantom quartz crystals have grown naturally over other crystals

A crystal that projects clean purity when compared to the rock in which it is often discovered many historical spiritual benefits are to be found recorded hand in hand.

The bible records the gemstone family member amethyst as conferring spiritual protection adorned to the breast plates of high priests, while Christian knights carried crystals of quartz for healing powers, and great thinkers such as Leonardo Da Vinci referred to it as bestowing keenness of thought.

Used extensively by the Celtic people of ancient Western Europe from the Alps to Ireland and Scotland – where large natural deposits are found – quartz was fashioned into myriad crystal figurines which are still to be found in these peoples ancient crypts, and was used in contemporary bead necklaces and bracelets which were traded widely.

Decorating headdresses and crowns larger quartz crystals were used by Egyptian royalty to emphasise social status, while shaman tribal soothsayers gained insights into the spiritual planes from early natural crystals, which were later machined into crystal balls that proved popular for divining in the early twentieth century.

Rutile inclusions add depth to the crystal of quartz as a centrepiece of this obsidian necklace

Our own quartz jewelry design uses many quartz crystal family members for their contributions to rich and interesting design, which with varied colouring, myriad lustres of sparkling light and deep inclusions of precious minerals make a fantastic art palette for a modern fashion designer.

Quartz as a mineral is found widely in nature and is an important element of constitution for many rocks such as granite, while after being weathered down though the passing of ages it is found widely distributed as sand particles on beaches around the world.

Quartz has been used in jewelry across the millennia for radiant light and natural colour tone

Quartz is often quarried from deep rock veins, where layers between sedimentary rocks have allowed spaces for the crystals to slowly grow into, and provide for rich sources of surrounding mineral to crystallise and grow from.

Sometimes smaller localised pockets of quartz crystals grow from minerals of other rocks deep below the ground which can be discovered filling large natural crystal clusters.

Natural crystal geodes are formed when hot lava traps gas bubbles which then form into cavities that allow minerals of surrounding material to gradually grow into.

Growing in subterranean high temperature silica rich environments the quartz minerals crystallizes into a variety of well known rock crystals such as citrine and amethyst.

Natural purple tone and rutile inclusions of the quartz gemstone contrast surrounding moonstone

Quartz crystals have two primary types of which the larger macro crystal type is found in many of our quartz jewelry collections and whose crystal structure can be discerned by eye.

This type includes the classic rock crystal white quartz, which as a close to transparent crystal reflects ample light and contrasts well against black and darker opaque hue design.

Ancient Egyptian necklaces and bracelets featured natural quartz crystals as centrepieces of designs that included supporting beads of golden ceramics and precious stones such as emerald.

Darker rutile inclusions make this lighter quartz crystal bead more versatile in design

Possessing greater design depth are the rutilated quartz varieties, these quartz crystals have grown together with rutile inclusions of other minerals and metals that grow naturally within the crystal.

In rutilated quartzes colourful metals such as copper or silver and minerals such as green chlorite are subsumed by a growing quartz crystal or slowly amalgamate together adding beautiful colouring and depth to designs which make use of them.

In our own designs rutile quartzes balance stronger colours in amethyst and other gemstones with the lighter crystals of quartz when used as supporting beads.

Rutile quartzes are an important part of our designer jewelry for their versatility which when balanced with stronger colours acts as a medium to project concepts that make use of many different gemstone types.

Purple amethyst simply set off against it’s close family relative rutile quartz

Well known quartz jewelry family member amethyst obtains her famous purple colour from the inclusion of scattered iron elements which in deep purple Siberian amethyst is famously prized.

Amethyst colours vary greatly across the world with deep purple to barely visible purple, scattered light and dark colouring and stable colours all being found.

Siberian amethyst as well as other varieties of this quartz family member can be read about in our blog article here.

Amethyst is widely found in Brazil and in many places grows in conjunction with the lighter coloured citrine, even so far as forming a twinned crystal that has traits of both parent crystals that is known as ametrine.

With slight yellow tint natural citrine adds fresh spring life to beautiful design

Yellow quartz is called citrine and shines with a range of bright yellow tones from golden citrine’s golden hues to Madeira citrine brown shades and yellow citrine’s lemon yellow colouring.

Quartz family members such as these examples cover many hundreds of other naturally formed crystals where the crystal form is readily apparent to the eye.

Where quartz crystals are not readily apparent to the eye they are termed cryptocrystalline quartz – so called as the crystals are cryptic, these quartz crystals include agate and chalcedony varieties which are used in many of our necklace designs.

Made up of millions of tiny crystals these gemstones posses some of the translucency and reflectivity of macro quartz crystals but with unique properties that come from their makeup, such as deeper colouring and fantastic scattering of reflected light.

This beautiful chalcedony pendant shows soft milky lustre of light

Chalcedony is one of this type of quartz with it’s translucent milky colour coming from reflections of light from the tiny micro crystal quartzes.

Though not as transparent to light as macro crystal quartz, it’s hardness and resilience to cutting in common with other microcrystalline quartzes make for easier shaping of pendants and other pieces which are subsequently beautifully shaped.

Our own quartz jewelry includes peace, ring and heart pendants made of milky white chalcedony which impart purity to design and act to balance stronger opaque supporting bead colours while possessing some of the same reflective lightness that is found in other crystal quartzes.

Traces of ancient marine plants preserved by micro crystalline quartz show beautiful patterning in petrified chalcedony

The special type of chalcedony shown in the pendant necklace photo above is a petrified chalcedony.

Forming over many hundreds of millions of years tiny quartz crystals grow into and very slowly replace organic matter leaving visible vestiges of their original fragile forms.

The quartz jewelry piece above shows the forms of tiny marine plants which have left delicate light impressions in the chalcedony matrix, a memory from a warm aquatic world that covered the Earth in a time far removed from our present age.

Belonging to a special type of chalcedony these pieces have stronger natural connections being intimately connected to the living world.

In our quartz jewelry designs petrified chalcedony is often used in forest concepts which project feelings of woodland glades, or in aquatic ocean concepts with projections of aquatic nature and blue ocean tones.

An opaque variety of a micro crystalline quartz is the solid coloured jasper, a form of chalcedony that though lacking translucency shows more strong distinctive colours, though this gemstone is not found in our collections at time of writing.

Circle pendant of scenic agate shows translucency with impressions of landscape form

Agate is a banded chalcedony that is much more translucent to light and can show striking colour bands and landscape impressions where chalcedony is typically comprised of more opaque white colouring.

One colourful and translucent agate variety is banded agate whose bands of colour, though sometimes less colourful than other gemstones, display as painted landscapes and in “moss” agate abound with natural fern like structures.

Our family of quartz jewelry uses the natural lightness and quartz crystal transmission of light as an aid to designs that add levity to natural gemstone and balance stronger natural colours into more balanced designs.

Cherry blossom agate is a form of micro crystal quartz shown off in this pendant against blue lapis lazuli

In the above picture an excellent example of cherry blossom agate shows some translucency while with beautiful natural patterning radiates purity while lifting the blue colouring of the supporting beads and adding a deftness of light to the necklace.

Quartz and it’s myriad family members have been friends of jewelry lovers and designers across millennia and enriches our own in house jewelry design in a unique way to our collected necklaces and bracelets.

YAN fashion quartz jewelry styles use quartz as both central and supporting aspects of design depending on the amount of colour and the intended use of the jewelry.

A crystal pendant of pink quartz balances perfectly with light prehnite crystals

Our designer quartz jewelry is designed with a principal idea and the use of quartz crystals in the design act as an aid to projection of this central concept focus.

With so many types of quartz to choose from with differing colour and lustre of light quartz can be selected as both a central bead that acts as the focus, or as a lighter supporting bead to balance or help project an idea.

In quartz jewelry designs that use many different types of gemstone quartzes can balance harmoniously with crystals such as lighter green prehnite crystals or translucent white moonstone which allows selections of different semi precious stones to act together to carry forward a design concept.

A single crystal of silver rutilated quartz foils to the beautiful black obsidian

Lighter quartz crystals such as white quartz are also used frequently in our black obsidian bead necklaces and bracelets where their natural light radiance serves to lift darker obsidian blacks.

Even in our gothic range of jewelry that is rich in beautiful black tone, the presence of crystal beads of quartz add a lightness to design and brings an unmistakable natural levity such as in the photo of a bracelet above.

In some of our designs both crypto and crystal quartzes are used together resulting in light radiant designs such as our pixie princess necklaces which are deft and nimble in tone.

Pixie princess necklaces with light crystal tones projecting clean energy and purity

I n the necklace above a pendant of agate with a high degree of translucency allows matching to lighter macro crystal phantom quartz beads whose faint vestiges of precursor crystals balance well with the detail in the pendant.

Natural necklaces such as rose woods and wing woods – though not gemstone in nature, can also balance with crypto crystalline agates and chalcedonies.

The following photo shows floral impressions from the cherry blossom agate match well to rose wood beads whose own surface projects natural energy further encouraged with bouquets of silver roses and floral agate supporting beads.

Floral concept necklace whose nature concept is enhanced both from rosewood and natural agate patterning

Quartz is to the crystal world as a flower is to the world of plants, at once ubiquitous and widespread in nature though both precious and beautiful no matter where it is found.

Incorporated into quartz jewelry design this crystal of every colour and variety lends itself to harmonising with almost every conceivable type of gemstone acting as a go between of light and dark tone and giver of levity to darker lustres.

As a central bead quartz – as it has done for hundreds of thousands of years, stands out with purity of natural energy projecting light from itself, while selflessly balancing with a range of different jewelry design.

The fantastic family of quartz crystals are an artists treasure trove of colour and light that imbue each piece of jewelry with beauty and selfless energy.

More designer quartz jewelry talked about in our article can be seen in our category of quartz necklaces and bracelets we hope you love our gemstone articles and check our fashion blog for more articles.

Beautiful Lapis Lazuli Gemstone

Gareth — Fri, 09 Oct 2020 10:32:51 +0000

Lapis Lazuli – Blue Stone

Lapis with the meaning of “stone” in latin and lazuli as a meaning of “blue” from ancient Persian, Lapis Lazuli speckled with gold inflections has been revered from a prized source of artisan pigment, to a gemstone fit for adorning the mask of lauded ancient Egyptian King Tutankhamun.

Revered throughout ancient Egypt this semi precious stone was imported from as far away as the mines of Sar-i Sang in what is now Afghanistan, where it was secured and then carried on caravan trade routes that stretched for thousands of miles connecting the ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Sumeria and Indus Valley civilisations.

Popularly made into scarab beetle figurines that signified rebirth and regeneration, as well as amulets and legal seals, lapis lazuli was considered highly in ancient Egyptian society and imported across the history of this ancient civilisation.

Mesopotamia’s mention of Lapis Lazuli gemstone is found in the first recorded poem “the Epic of the Gilgamesh”, while in nearby Sumeria it was used in jewelry that included examples of beautiful bead necklaces and statuettes, where it was used as azure blue iris’s.

The ancient Greeks were also familiar with this gemstone and in the classical ages they referred to it as “Saphirus”, with the Roman author Pliny the Elder talking of it as being “opaque and sprinkled with specks of gold” in his work “Naturalis Historia” which was to become the model of all subsequent encyclopaedia.

Later frequent old testament mentions of “Sapphire stone” made at the time of the Roman empire are most likely referring to lapis lazuli, as the precious stone Sapphire had not yet been discovered.

Lapis Stone and Cherry Blossom Agate Bracelet

Brilliant Ultramarine

As natural source of the bright blue pigment ultramarine – which is obtained by grinding down the parent rock and extracting the bright blue pigment, Lapis was used in provision of Egyptian makeup that included blue coloured eyeshadow adorned by Egyptian Queen Cleopatra .

The later middle ages saw ultramarine pigment used for the painting of central religious figures, where it’s azure blue colouring was likened to the blue of the sky interspersed with natural golden flecks from the sun, and with a commensurate value that was second only to gold.

Ancient peoples traded Lapis Lazuli gemstone widely across the world, with notable deposits being found in the “Sar-i Sang” mines that date from pre history and have produced some of the worlds best examples, with a brilliant azure blue colouring uniformly found throughout their precious stones.

Barrel bead of Lapis showing pyrite gold fleck

Precious Blue Mineral

Unlike many gemstones lapis lazuli is actually an aggregated collection of other minerals that form when limestone deep under the Earth is heated by the conducted heat from nearby intrusions of magma.

This form of “contact metamorphism” occurs mainly due to this heating alone, slowly changing the mineral makeup of the original rock into something new.

The most prominent constituent mineral is named “lazurite” and must constitute at least twenty five percent of Lapis Lazuli gemstone makeup for it to be considered true Lapis.

Lazurite is an intense blue silicate mineral whose radical silicon elements show strong absorption of yellow and red visible light – contributing to the strong blue reflections of light that give rise to Lapis Lazuli’s famous blue colour, while lazurite found singularly in nature can also directly grow into beautiful azure coloured blue crystal.

Lesser minerals, notably pyrite, are almost as important in lapis lazuli, and pyrite inclusions are very visible to the eye as small crystal flecks that shine with golden yellow in real lapis lazuli.

Most lapis lazuli gemstone will include some white areas of calcite minerals, though prized examples have less white calcite area and a larger depth of deep blue colour, which is interspersed more with gold pyrite and violet blue lustre.

Beautiful example of agate pendant and blue lapis bead necklace

Art and Fashion

Metaphysical writings on lapis lazuli gemstone vary across sources, though perhaps as lapis lazuli is comprised of different minerals that were once different crystals altogether it is often written as a gemstone of great depth, showing a connection to it’s deep blue colour that projects hidden meaning, and is frequently connected to use in meditation and exploration of the deeper self.

In the world of fashion and the art’s lapis lazuli’s history stretches across great works of art and famous names throughout time.

One of the most famed uses of lapis lazuli derived ultramarine is in the “Starry Night” by Vincent Van Gogh, in whose art deep blue ultramarine pigment depicts the impressionist view of a deep night sky as seen from the window of his asylum in residence.

“The virgin in prayer” by famed Italian artist Sassaferrato depicts the blue robe of the virgin Mary devout in prayer, painted in brilliant blue ultramarine pigment.

Belonging still to the ancient world the famous funeral mask of Tutankhamun is cast in solid gold, though features gemstones ranging from quartz crystal eyes, obsidian pupils, turquoise and amazonite inlays of a broad gold collar, and lapis lazuli for eye surrounds and eyebrows.

Lapis blue central gemstone setting off white agate bead

Lapis Lazuli Gemstone Jewelry

Modern era lapis lazuli jewelry still follows many of crafting traditions carried forward from the ancient worlds love of this precious jewel.

Set in simple worked golden yellow surrounds lapis lazuli is often found radiating it’s natural colour in large carat pendant necklaces that feature single cabochon pendants of the bluest varieties of lapis, though multiple pendants set into more complex precious metal chains and settings are sometimes seen.

Though faceted gemstones can be found in pendants that play more strongly upon reflection of light, perhaps owing to the softer nature of lapis and the ease of which it can be worn down if not careful, lapis is more often seen as cabochon and bead jewelry.

Taking a high level of shine in polishing lapis lazuli cabochons and beads are oft mounted in high polished gold and silver work, following in the footsteps of the ancient Egyptians who also adorned this gemstone with precious metals.

Lapis lazuli in our lapis gemstone collection

Our Take on Lapis Lazuli

Our own designers use of lapis lazuli takes the natural radiant blue colour and matches it with the colours of other natural gemstones such as white agates and cream aventurine to achieve plays of colour projecting new modern style and the artists concept goal.

One of our best loved necklaces is a blue lapis bead and white agate star pendant necklace shown above, in this piece the pure blue colour of lapis projects deeply from a long dress necklace length bead chain, lightened by silver floral brocades that act to bring a little extra light to the design.

The centrepiece of the design is the beautiful natural crystal of agate radiating in light and semi transparent, that not only catches the eye but serves to further uplift the colour of lapis from blue to azure and brings contrasting blends of colour to the piece.

Matched with an agate and lapis lazuli bracelet that elegantly contrasts innocent colours this set is a simple projection of colour and style and a beautiful adornment to cheery dresses and colourful clothing.

Lapis soft texture suited for delicate floral bead

Our pink bead aventurine bracelet continues this trend of colour palette contrasting in the above photo.

Carved into five petal flowers the depth of colour in the lapis lazuli is made more evident by contrasting to the detailed though simple cream white aventurine bead it is partnered with.

Silver baubles of flowers catch and reflect light in this design further drawing attention to the contrast of deep blue and natural peach pink white.

With some similar colour traits and opacity to lapis our collection includes a vibrant example of phosphosiderite and lapis lazuli bracelet that matches purple and yellow gemstones to a bright carved barrel bead of lapis in the centre.

Designs including lapis lazuli gemstone can be found under our gemstone collection page on our website that can be viewed here while designs with similar colour contrasting can be seen on our vibrant colour concept page.

Lapis lazuli is as much known for as a colour as it is for a gemstone, it’s natural azure blue tone can be found in the great art works of history, in the worlds greatest gallery’s, and decorating the most famed examples of ancient works that have become cherished parts of global culture.

lapis lazuli gemstone – YAN

Lapis Lazuli Necklaces, Earrings & Gemstone Bead Bracelets

Lapis Lazuli Necklaces, Earrings & Gemstone Bead Bracelets

Beautiful Lapis Lazuli Gemstone

Lapis Lazuli Necklaces, Earrings & Gemstone Bead Bracelets

Quartz Jewelry Beautiful Family

Beautiful Lapis Lazuli Gemstone

Lapis Lazuli – Blue Stone

Brilliant Ultramarine

Precious Blue Mineral

Art and Fashion

Lapis Lazuli Gemstone Jewelry

Our Take on Lapis Lazuli