Ancient 3000BC Assyrian Armenian Lapis Lazuli Earrings Persia Gem of the Heavens

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Ancient 3000BC Assyrian Armenian Lapis Lazuli Earrings Persia Gem of the Heavens:
$49.99

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5,000 Year Old Ancient Assyrian Gold-Flecked Midnight Blue Semi-Precious Lapis Lazuli Gemstone Beads on Sterling Silver French Hooks.

ATTN !!! DO NOT REMOVE THIS LISTING!!! As per Trust & Safety, this does NOT violate the USA Embargo against SYRIA. This artifact is from present-day ARMENIA, from when Armenia was part of the ASSYRIAN Empire. Please note, though ASSYRIA and SYRIA sound similar, they are NOT the same. Ancient Assyria was an empire which existed from about 3,000 B.C. to 600 B.C., and has NOTHING to do with present day SYRIA. This item does NOT violate policy, and is NOT embargoed. Please see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assyria.

CLASSIFICATION: Eight Semi-Precious Lapis Lazuli Beads, Hand-Drilled Suspension Holes (Bow Drilled), Hand Shaped and Polished.

ATTRIBUTION: Ancient Assyria (Present-Day Armenia), Approximately 2,900 (3rd Millennium) B.C.

SIZE/DIMENSIONS: Approximately 8 carats (total gemstone weight).

Diameter: 4-5 millimeters (individual beads).

Height: 4-5 millimeters (individual beads).

NOTE:: Can be remounted without charge to leverbacks, ball/stud dangles, euro-clicks, or kidney wires in sterling or 14kt gold fill. Other mounting styles including 14kt solid gold also available.

DETAIL: A gorgeous pair of Sterling Silver French Hooks earrings featuring eight genuine ancient midnight blue lapis lazuli gemstones, about 5,000 years old attributable to the ancient Assyrian culture. These dark blue gemstones possess glittering highlights of golden iron pyrite inclusions (\"fools gold\"). Pendants and beads constructed of lapis lazuli quite the fashion statement during the 3rd and 2nd Millenniums B.C., Lapis Lazuli being a highly favored semi-precious gemstone not only in Assyria, but in ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Anatolia, and the Levant, as well throughout the ancient Mediterranean. Evidence suggests that lapis lazuli has been utilized as a gemstone for at least 10,000 years, making it along with pearls, turquoise, carnelian, and amber amongst the “oldest” gemstones utilized by ancient cultures for decorative purposes. There is even evidence that lapis lazuli beads and pendants were used as a form of currency by the ancient inhabitants of Assyria as well as throughout the ancient Mesopotamian region.

The ancient city of Ur had a thriving trade in lapis lazuli as early as the fourth millennium B.C. The ancient Greek, Phoenician, and Roman cultures also highly favored lapis lazuli. Renaissance artists used ground lapis as pigment for the fabulous blue in the era’s masterpieces of art. Still very popular in Eastern Europe, the columns of St. Isaac\'s Cathedral are lined with lapis, and the Pushkin Palace (both in St. Petersburg) has lapis lazuli paneling over twenty meters (sixty feet) in height! These extraordinary ancient gemstones have been mounted onto high quality Sterling Silver French Hooks of contemporaneous origin (USA manufacture). They are quality settings designed to last a lifetime. If you prefer, the gemstones could be remounted onto kidney wires, lever backs, euroclicks, or ball-stud dangles if you would prefer; or remounted onto sterling silver or 14kt solid gold.