Shaam - Natural Lapis Lazuli Necklace

From the Rangreza collection by Orah Jewels and Crafts, a necklace named for the hour when Basant's kites begin to catch the last light. Shaam places Lapis Lazuli stones from Badakhshan, Afghanistan along a silver tone brass chain at 15.5 inches, each stone spaced evenly so the deep blue reads as a continuous field across the collarbone, a delicate geometric motif integrated into the chain between the stones adding architectural detail without distracting from the color.

Lapis Lazuli from Badakhshan has been the standard for this stone for six millennia, the mines at Sar-e-Sang supplying ancient Egypt, Persia, and the Indus Valley with the same material that sets in this necklace today. The lazurite mineral within the calcium carbonate host produces a blue of such specific depth and opacity that it became the source for ultramarine pigment, used in European painting for centuries as the most coveted blue available. Each stone in Shaam carries the natural white calcite veining and pyrite inclusions that distinguish genuine Badakhshan lapis, the blue uneven across the surface in a way that reveals the stone's geological formation rather than a commercial equalization process. The cool silver tone chain complements the blue without the warmth that gold would add, keeping the color reading clean and direct.

The necklace falls at 15.5 inches, sitting at the collarbone where the stones are visible over most necklines. The geometric chain detail adds a contemporary signature to a stone with an ancient history, the design balanced enough for both casual and formal occasions. Light in wear, substantial in visual presence.

Made by Orah Jewels and Crafts. Lapis from Badakhshan, Afghanistan, natural and unenhanced. Brass with silver tone finish. One piece.

Stone: Natural Lapis Lazuli (Badakhshan, Afghanistan)
Metal: Brass
Size: 15.5 inches
Collection: Rangreza