Lapis Lazuli Bead Cluster Necklace Wire-wrapped with Antiqued Bronze Wire, adjustable

This Lapis Lazuli cluster necklace is a more subdued version of the larger cluster necklaces. These necklaces look great pooping through a v-neck or suit jacket and also pair well with a more casual outfit. Each cluster necklace is truly unique and one-of-a-kind. While I might use the same type of beads and color combinations, each piece contains beads and a bead combination totally unique to it.

This particular piece features matted Lapis Lazuli beads, accented with more sodalite, Larimar (a rare stone found only in the Dominican Republic), and beautifully faceted Amazonite rondelle beads. It looks stunning with a deep blue suit or dress. Dress it down with blue jeans and a t-shirt, it will make that simple outfit pop!

I carefully wrap the beads with my signature wire-wrapping style and then hang complementary beads to lend for an organic, dangling effect. The main beads are 8 mm and the accent beads are from 5-6mm.

Each is adjustable from 14 inches to 19 inches. Metal materials are nickel and tarnish-free antiqued bronze, including the wire, chain and clasp and are easily cleaned with a dry or damp cloth. All beads are natural gemstones and carefully selected with care.

Store either hanging or in your favorite jewelry box with plenty of space to breathe. Complementary earrings available. 

Photos by Greg Mann

Want to learn more about Lapis Lazuli’s powers? Read on:

Lapis Lazuli’s Lasting Luster

Prized in ancient times by both Romans and Egyptians and referred to as “saphirus” because of its rich blue tones that are reminiscent of the semi-precious gemstone sapphire, Lapis Lazuli has been of particular interest to royalty from all corners of the globe, from kings and czars, to emperors and pharaohs, as it is thought to promote the royal virtues and wisdom that accompany that command. Hugely popular during the Renaissance, artists pulverized it into fine powder to create deep blue hues to paint the robes and gowns of these historical royal figures. Doctors did the same and used the powders to treat various conditions, including use as an antidote to snake bite. Buddhists and ancient yogis used it in meditation to promote inner peace and dispel negative thoughts. Many sculptors carved beautiful pieces with it. Catherine the Great in Russia prized it so she had a whole room filled with large lapis vases and sculptures, lined doors, wall panels and mirrors with it, the so-called “Lapis Room” in the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg. I’ve actually stood in that room and I found it far more impressive than the more well-known “Malachite Room” in the same palace. Its energy was powerful. I felt like a Queen and I literally felt taken back in time. Fitting, as this stone is used to explore past lives and I’ve often felt very strongly and deeply tied to all things Russia.    

Because this stone is associated with wisdom, it is often used to stoke the Third Eye Chakra, allowing one to tap into one’s intuitive powers of observation and presence, activating the inner psychic. It is associated with visualization and imagery, stimulating one’s sense of sight. I wonder if those Renaissance painters wore it when they worked. It also promotes thought clarity and hence truthful communication, so it is often associated with honesty and the Throat Chakra, and so ultimately, your inner and outer voice. If you are a teacher, this stone is for you. It can help you unblock your thought process and provide clearer and more concise instruction. Appropriately, the words Lapis Lazuli literally just roll off the tongue! Similarly, this stone is powerful to the student, allowing the learner to broaden the mind, stoking  curiosity and the ability to be more receptive to ideas that may seem foreign and unreal. It enhances memory and attentiveness and the ability to retain new information. Wear this stone when you are studying or at a yoga workshop!   

And again, if you believe in reincarnation, or want to end the cycle, you might find this stone helpful. It is thought to promote such inner awareness, such inner truth to the wearer, it can unlock the echoes of past lives and deepen self discovery. It can unleash the secrets of true motivations, allowing one to better understand behavioral habits and patterns and cultivate right action, leading to that ultimate peace and harmony that Buddhists cherish so. 

The best examples are from Afghanistan. Good sources are available in Pakistan, Italy, and Russia, and still of a bit lesser quality sources are found in Colorado and Chile, among a few other locations. Lazurite, calcite, sodalite and pyrite all combine to create deep blue hues sprinkled with bits of white (sodalite) and gold (pyrite). Finer representations of this stone are thought to contain more pyrite, speckling and veining it in gold and bronze, why it is prized so by royalty, and usually paired with precious fine gold. Equally, examples containing more sodalite and white are beautifully paired with white gold or sterling silver.

In current designs I choose to pair it with antiqued bronzed wire and metal, complementing the pyrite specks and contrasting the sodalite streaks. The combination gives it an alluring vintage appeal. I love that this stone is both warm and cool at the same time, representing the duality of nature. I’ll be using this stone quite a bit this fall and holiday season. Stay tuned! Since it’s a stone of royalty, I can envision it beautifully with the purple of amethyst.