Roshanara - Lapis Lazuli and Aquamarine Silver Necklace

From the Rani collection by Orah Jewels and Crafts, a necklace that holds two stones from very different geological origins in close conversation. Roshanara pairs uncut Lapis Lazuli from Badakhshan, Afghanistan with uncut Aquamarine from Skardu Valley, Gilgit-Baltistan, the opaque midnight blue of the lapis and the translucent pale blue of the aquamarine set alternately along a 16-inch silver chain.

Lapis Lazuli from Badakhshan has been mined continuously for over 6,000 years, making it one of the oldest gemstone trade commodities on record. The blue is produced primarily by lazurite, a complex sulfur-bearing mineral within the sodalite group, and the finest material from Badakhshan produces the deep, saturated blue with flecks of gold pyrite that defines the stone's character. The Aquamarine beside it comes from pegmatite veins in Skardu Valley, a geologically distinct environment where beryl forms at high altitude under different pressure conditions than lapis, producing a stone that is transparent, pale, and internally lit in a way that is the direct opposite of lapis's opacity. Together on the neck, the two stones read as the full range of blue rather than two competing versions of it.

The silver settings are minimal, each stone held in a simple bezel so the stones carry the visual weight rather than the metalwork. The necklace sits at 16 inches, falling at the collarbone where the stones lay flat and remain readable from a distance. The chain is fine and does not add visual bulk.

Made at the Orah Jewels facility in Lahore. Both stones are natural, uncut, and untreated. Lapis from Badakhshan, aquamarine from Skardu. One piece.

Stones: Natural Lapis Lazuli (Badakhshan, Afghanistan) and Aquamarine (Skardu Valley, Gilgit-Baltistan)
Metal: Sterling Silver
Size: 16 inches
Collection: Rani