Lapis lazuli jewelery is one of the oldest and most exotic types of jewelry available today. Alexander the Great brought the stone to Europe from Egypt hundreds of years ago.
Lapis lazuli is a very beautiful blue stone with sparkling pyrite inclusions. It is also quite soft and therefore must be treated with great care. Fortunately, there are some simple steps that you can take to insure that your lapis remains bright and brilliant throughout years of regular use and wear.
Instructions
1. Store each piece in a separate box. The best way to do this is to just keep the jewelry in the box that it came in. Lapis lazuli is easily scratched and nicked, so it should not be placed in a regular jewelry box with other pieces. Gift jewelry boxes are designed to protect and defend the jewelry they contain in a soft, interior cushion.
2. Wrap the jewelry in velvet before you store it. The velvet will protect the stones from being banged against sharp corners and help keep the gemstones safe from scratching and other wear and tear. This is particularly important if you must store your lapis lazuli pieces with other types of jewelry.
3. Wipe your jewelry with a soft cotton cloth after you remove it. This will remove oils from your skin, makeup and perfume residue and other grime from the stone. Letting these types of pollutants sit on the gemstone can actually wear away at the stone or cause it to lose its shine faster.
4. Avoid cleaning lapis lazuli jewelry with anything other than a mild jewelry detergent. Most abrasive cleaners are not good for any type of jewelry. However, is not a hardy gem and therefore you should avoid any type of scrubbing cleaner. Lapiz lazuli is often coated with a clear coat of resin to protect its shine. Scrubbing or brushing the jewelry will increase the rate at which this coating wears off an exposes the stone itself to damage.
5. Wear lapis lazuli jewelry only on nice occasions. Lapis lazuli is not a good gemstone for everyday wear because it is too delicate. You should not wear this type of stone as a daily piece of jewelry unless you are very careful. Work with a jeweler to determine how best to wear a stone -- for example as earrings or a necklace rather than a ring or a bracelet -- if you wish to wear it every day.
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