Lapis Lazuli beads 6mm sphere shaped natural color 15.5 inch strand

Description

Lapis lazuli (/ˈlæpɪs ˈlæzjʊli, -laɪ/), or lapis for short, is a deep blue metamorphic rock used as a semi-precious stone that has been prized since antiquity for its intense color. As early as the 7th millennium BC, lapis lazuli was mined in the Sar-i Sang mines, in Shortugai, and in other mines in Badakhshan province in northeast Afghanistan. Lapis was highly valued by the Indus Valley Civilisation (3300–1900 BC). Lapis beads have been found at Neolithic burials in Mehrgarh, the Caucasus, and even as far from Afghanistan as Mauritania. It was used in the funeral mask of Tutankhamun (1341–1323 BC).
At the end of the Middle Ages, lapis lazuli began to be exported to Europe, where it was ground into powder and made into ultramarine, the finest and most expensive of all blue pigments. It was used by some of the most important artists of the Renaissance and Baroque, including Masaccio, Perugino, Titian and Vermeer, and was often reserved for the clothing of the central figures of their paintings, especially the Virgin Mary.
Today, mines in northeast Afghanistan are still the major source of lapis lazuli. Important amounts are also produced from mines west of Lake Baikal in Russia, and in the Andes mountains in Chile. Smaller quantities are mined in Italy, Mongolia, the United States, and Canada.
4.00 TOTAL FOR POSTAGE with DELIVERY CONFIRMATION/ TRACKING
ON ALL THE ITEMS YOU WIN ON EBAY OVER THE NEXT 2 WEEKS. TAKE YOUR TIME BIDDING ON THEM.  NO PROBLEM OR RUSH..
I will combine the cost of shipping for all the items you win during a 2 week period that are paid for in a single transaction.
Please note...If items are paid for separately, they will be shipped separately due to PAYPAL tracking reasons.
Also, I ship items within 24 hours from the time of payment. Therefore, do not pay for any items until you are done bidding so I can ship everything in one package.  Please take your time and don't pay for up to 2 weeks.
Shipping includes tracking and delivery confirmation.
Nice specimen for your collection.  Authenticity guaranteed.
JOHN HUMPHRIES, P.O. BOX 310, TOMBSTONE AZ. 85638
All packages mailed out will have a Delivery Confirmation slip on the package. See Paypal for the tracking info.
Please only pay in one payment when you are all done. Postage is 4.00 for all the items you win over a 2 week period. ONLY pay in ONE PAYMENT when you are all done winning and ready to buy everything you wanted. I mail out all items the same day or in the morning. Thanks, John Humphries, P.O. BOX 310, TOMBSTONE AZ 85638
As of May 6th 2021, due to the increased postage costs. Postage is now .80 in the USA for all the items you wish to buy in a two week period, and that are paid in a single
transaction.  All packages still come with full tracking.  I've held off on raising my postage prices for as long as I could.  The Post Office keeps increasing their rates and Ebay takes about 15% in fees from the
postage
costs. Sorry for any inconveniences.  Again, for combined shipping please take up to 2 weeks before you pay in one single transaction. So if you buy one item or 239 items, postage is .80 total in the USA when you pay in one payment. And Please only pay when you are all done. Thanks, John Humphries