Lapis lazuli or lapis have been greatly revered throughout history for its richly intense and luminous deep blue hue. Lapis is a semi-precious gemstone occurring naturally in many stunning shades of blue: indigo, ultramarine, royal blue, and azure are but a few of the words used to describe lapis, which has been treasured for millennia.
In ancient Egypt, lapis was used to entomb and decorate the burial ornaments of royalty. An excellent example of this is the funeral mask of the Pharaoh Tutankhamun. It is rumored that Cleopatra used powdered lapis stone as eyeshadow.
And did you know that there was a point in history when this gorgeous celestial blue stone was worth more than gold? Lapis was ground up and used as a pigment (called ultramarine) in many European Renaissance paintings, especially religious ones, to signify holiness and purity. It came to Europe from faraway places, making it expensive. Using the pigment in paintings added value, prestige, and most certainly a unique color not previously used before, driving up the price even higher than that of gold.
Lapis gemstone beads today are a popular gemstone choice in beading designs and projects. The rich color is quite eye-catching and frequently used as a focal bead commanding all the attention or as an add-on bead to complement other beads.
Not only do jewelry designers use lapis beads for their deep blue color, but lapis also has unique metaphysical properties that can aid when worn next to the skin.
Lapis helps us on our inner-journey of self-discovery and growth and, as a stone of royalty, inspires our inner-divinity. Evoking our divine nature is to seek truth and self-knowledge. It is one of the best stones to activate the mind and psychic abilities and is strongly associated with the third eye, opening channels for visualization and meditative journeys. Lapis also assists in enhancing clairvoyance and precognition.
Are you thinking about adding lapis gemstone beads to your projects, or do you need to add more to your stock?
American Bead Corporation is the just place to visit online for the best prices and the biggest variety of lapis beads at wholesale prices. We carry a wide variety of shapes and sizes of these gorgeous beads available in an array of blues. Besides beads, we also feature hand-made lapis bracelets and necklaces, and beautiful lapis pendants.
Hop on the American Bead Corporation website and have a look around; we’ve been in the gemstone bead business selling gemstone beads to established retailers and designers for over 20 years — we love beads and sharing our gemstone knowledge. Along with our extensive selection of lapis beads wholesale, we have over 25,000 other gemstone products available for viewing.