Lisa Black Jewellery

Lapis Lazuli, Rock Crystal, Carnelian, Agate, Turquoise, Chalcedony

Like diamonds from coal, many of these ancient stones come from the rugged mountains of Afghanistan. They were then fashioned into beads in the Indus valley and traded onto the Royal courts of Sumeria, Mesopotamia and Egypt where jewelers crafted them into precious items of adornment, reflecting the wealth, status and power of the elite.

Fluted ‘melon’ beads of turquoise and gold, beautifully formed carnelians and agates were all prized for their protective qualities and traded extensively between the privileged populations of the world’s first cities, circa third millennium BC.

The stones themselves hold individual histories and specific properties.

Lapis Lazuli, with its extraordinary luminescent blue, was said to exist before time. It was often made into jewelry, carvings, amulets and talismans that were believed to have occult powers. The stone was also said to impart ancient knowledge, and the wisdom to use it.

Carnelian was revered by many ancient cultures, including Sumerians, Egyptians, Hebrews and Muslims. Ancient Egyptian tombs are full of Carnelian objects of adornment especially due the belief of the stone’s power in regard to the afterlife. According to their system, amulets of Carnelian could prove helpful in ensuring the Ka’s (the soul’s) passage into the next world.

Turquoise, a sacred stone that has been used for centuries to adorn ritual objects in Tibet and elsewhere, is reputed to heal all kinds of ailments and to help improve attitude and enhance creativity.

Agate can be traced back to Stone Age man in France 20,000-16,000 BC. The Egyptians used it extensively even prior to 3000 BC. Agate was highly valued by ancient civilizations as it was said to render the wearer invisible.

Due to its abundance, durability and beauty, chalcedony was one of the first raw materials used by humankind. Its earliest recorded uses were as projectile points, knives, tools and containers. The stone was also used in Renaissance magic for health and safety and has historically been attributed with metaphysical properties.

The rudimentary drilling techniques and uneven polish of all these prehistoric beads are a clear indication of their ancient origins. Many were unearthed in archeological excavations and found amongst the ruins of ancient cities once awash with regal splendor.