Safa - Natural Lapis Lazuli Silver Earrings

From the Rani collection by Orah Jewels and Crafts, earrings where the design is the geometry of the stone. Safa sets geometric pieces of Lapis Lazuli from Badakhshan, Afghanistan in silver frames, the stone cut to flat angular shapes and inlaid flush so the blue face reads as a graphic element rather than a rounded or organic form.

Lapis Lazuli from Badakhshan is the world's oldest gemstone trade material, mined continuously since at least 4,000 BCE at the Sar-e-Sang deposits in Afghanistan's northern mountains. The lazurite mineral within the calcium carbonate host produces a blue of such depth and opacity that it was the basis for ultramarine pigment, the most coveted blue in European painting for centuries before synthetic alternatives were developed. In a geometric cut and inlay setting like Safa, the flat face of the stone presents an uninterrupted color field, any pyrite inclusions reading as fine gold detailing within the blue surface rather than surface irregularities. The angular form of the setting also creates a different silhouette from the rounded and organic forms typical of cabochon or rough-set lapis jewelry. The stone was cut and shaped at the Orah Jewels facility in Lahore with the surface calibrated to sit exactly flush within the silver frame.

The earrings drop 1.5 inches and are compact enough for daily wear. The geometric form works particularly well with structured clothing, the angular lines of the stone setting reading as an intentional design choice rather than simply a material decision. The silver frame is polished and the inlay sits level with the surface on both earrings so the pair reads consistently.

Made at the Orah Jewels facility in Lahore. Lapis from Badakhshan, Afghanistan. One pair.

Stone: Natural Lapis Lazuli (Badakhshan, Afghanistan)
Metal: Sterling Silver
Size: 1.5 inches drop
Collection: Rani