Lapis Lazuli Ring

OK, so I finally crumbled and bought a GORGEOUS lapis lazuli ring (link here: http://www.etsy.com/listing/66366925/carolines-ring), and yes, it's the ring Caroline wears in The Vampire Diaries. Before it arrived I read up on lapis lazuli and how to care for it - most sources advise that lapis is very porous and soft and should not be soaked in water. So I have been pretty careful with it and don't wear it when I'm doing laundry or washing the dishes. But all this putting it on and off and on and off is driving me a bit batty.

Just tell me: How fragile are they? Anybody here with lapis lazuli jewelry here can share your experiences? Washing hands with soap and then drying it off immediately after is okay, right?

I know this seems like a very silly question but it's the first time I owned lapis lazuli and it would break my heart if it gets damaged.

I have a lapis ring that I bought at least 30-35 years ago. I see no signs of wear on it, and I don't avoid water at all. I don't know if there are different ways to finish the stone, though. I know that with turquoise there are several different ways of finishing the stone and some are more durable than others.

Good luck with your gorgeous new ring!

Thanks for your reply! It is heart-achingly pretty. I just can't stop staring at it. Mine has some pyrite flecked throughout and I actually preferred it this way. So far I haven't felt any discernible energy from it, but I am a little easy to be irritated lately. It needs a good cleansing, I think.

Compared to my Botswana Agate pendant that is just wonderful to wear - I feel like I'm coated in steam and a sense of calmness and protection.

I have a lapis ring that I've worn constantly for the last 10 years or so. I take it off to wash the dishes but I'm not overly cautious with it and sometimes I forget to take it off so it does get wet often. It's absolutely fine, no signs of wear and tear at all.

Great! Thank you, both GriffinSong and Sulis. This answered my questions about the ring.

Blessings!

I have a fabulous lapis lazuli ring which I bought in Brazil years ago, a squared piece of stone beautifully set into a ring. Soon after I bought it one of the corners chipped slightly (I have no idea how) but it just gave it more character. I wore it all the time, swimming in the sea, in the pool, showers whatever. I don't think a rock like this is damaged by water is it?

Nowadays though I prefer gold and have a very special gold ring which I wear all the time with strong sentimental value and so I tend not to wear my lapis lazuli ring but I get it out occasionally and coo over its beauty!

A wonderful stone to have nearby.

Happy to see another Vampire Diaries fan here! Awhile ago, I asked the following question in this subforum:

Lapis Lazuli featured in Vampire Diaries. Why?

and I was happy to get some very interesting responses as to why LJ Smith probably chose to use this stone to protect vampires from the sunlight in stories.

I became even more intrigued with lapis lazuli when I learned that in ancient Egypt lapis lazuli was a favorite stone for beads, amulets, and scarabs. So when others here mentioned owning lapis lazuli jewelry and it holding up fine (despite what I had read elsewhere) I decided to pick up some lapis lazuli pieces of my own on ebay. They don't look like anything that has appeared on the show but I love them.

I have a ring, earrings, and a large pendant but the only piece that sometimes gets water/soap on it is the ring because I don't like taking off my rings when I wash my hands at work because I'm too afraid of forgetting to put them back on. I do wonder though if it is silly of me to avoid using the hand dryer at work because I don't know if that heat is good for the lapis or the turquoise (which is in the ring as well.) But if I am home and washing the dishes, taking a shower, etc I always take my jewelry off.


I find it really fun to wear my lapis lazuli when I am watching The Vampire Diaries and using vampire themed decks and spreads such as The Vampire Diaries Love Sucks Spread (5), My Life As A Vampire Spread (6), and The Vampire Cross Spread (5)

Gorgeous ring

Wow, that is just a gorgeous ring!

My guess would be that the warnings have something to do with the calcite in the rock. Lapis is a rock rather than a mineral and can have a whole bunch of minerals in it. The blue comes from both the lazurite and the sodalite, the white from calcite and the metallic from the pyrite. Compared with minerals of higher hardnesses, like most gemstones, lazurite has a hardness of 5 out of 10, sodalite and pyrite range about 6 out of 10, and calcite only 3.

Since calcite is both very soft and very vulnerable to dissolving, my guess would be that the submersion thing is so you don't risk getting anything acidic on it that might eat away the calcite.

I am very hard on my jewelry and have always wanted lapis but thought I would destroy it. It's good to know that some of you have done just fine having it on you or around you for years with not too much wear and tear. And I find it interesting that several of the major AT contributors have this not-too-terribly-common stone.

Le Fanu said:

I have a fabulous lapis lazuli ring which I bought in Brazil years ago, a squared piece of stone beautifully set into a ring. Soon after I bought it one of the corners chipped slightly (I have no idea how) but it just gave it more character. I wore it all the time, swimming in the sea, in the pool, showers whatever. I don't think a rock like this is damaged by water is it?

Nowadays though I prefer gold and have a very special gold ring which I wear all the time with strong sentimental value and so I tend not to wear my lapis lazuli ring but I get it out occasionally and coo over its beauty!

A wonderful stone to have nearby.

Click to expand...

Now we're talking! You brought your ring to the pool, in the sea... and it's still good and intact? That just seems to go against everything I've come across about lapis lazuli. They make it out to be like a sugar cube that would melt if you as much as drop water on it. OK, that's an exaggeration but it does sound that way!

Lapis is just so beautiful! Before this I'm not really taken by any gemstone except Botswana Agate. Maybe it's the fact that both these stones vary by appearance greatly and lends each and every one a personality of its own.

Glass Owl said:

Happy to see another Vampire Diaries fan here! Awhile ago, I asked the following question in this subforum:

Lapis Lazuli featured in Vampire Diaries. Why?

and I was happy to get some very interesting responses as to why LJ Smith probably chose to use this stone to protect vampires from the sunlight in stories.

I became even more intrigued with lapis lazuli when I learned that in ancient Egypt lapis lazuli was a favorite stone for beads, amulets, and scarabs. So when others here mentioned owning lapis lazuli jewelry and it holding up fine (despite what I had read elsewhere) I decided to pick up some lapis lazuli pieces of my own on ebay. They don't look like anything that has appeared on the show but I love them.

I have a ring, earrings, and a large pendant but the only piece that sometimes gets water/soap on it is the ring because I don't like taking off my rings when I wash my hands at work because I'm too afraid of forgetting to put them back on. I do wonder though if it is silly of me to avoid using the hand dryer at work because I don't know if that heat is good for the lapis or the turquoise (which is in the ring as well.) But if I am home and washing the dishes, taking a shower, etc I always take my jewelry off.


I find it really fun to wear my lapis lazuli when I am watching The Vampire Diaries and using vampire themed decks and spreads such as The Vampire Diaries Love Sucks Spread (5), My Life As A Vampire Spread (6), and The Vampire Cross Spread (5)

Click to expand...

Oh yes... Yay, sista! TVD fans! Damon has my heart. Despite the fact that he's a murdering sociopath obsessed with Katherine/Elena. Stefan is fine, but Damon... he's a class of his own. Oh yes, I saw your post prior to posting this and only Sulis had experience with the ring so I thought I should ask again just to be sure.

I see a lot of TVD pieces on Etsy. Just search Vampire Diaries and you can get a whole gamut of jewelry inspired by the show. Elena's necklace seems to be rather spot on as well. The Caroline's Ring I bought is one of the best replica I've ever seen. And the seller is really nice as well. Can't wait for March 31st, TVD resumes then.

SloughSister said:

Wow, that is just a gorgeous ring!

My guess would be that the warnings have something to do with the calcite in the rock. Lapis is a rock rather than a mineral and can have a whole bunch of minerals in it. The blue comes from both the lazurite and the sodalite, the white from calcite and the metallic from the pyrite. Compared with minerals of higher hardnesses, like most gemstones, lazurite has a hardness of 5 out of 10, sodalite and pyrite range about 6 out of 10, and calcite only 3.

Since calcite is both very soft and very vulnerable to dissolving, my guess would be that the submersion thing is so you don't risk getting anything acidic on it that might eat away the calcite.

I am very hard on my jewelry and have always wanted lapis but thought I would destroy it. It's good to know that some of you have done just fine having it on you or around you for years with not too much wear and tear. And I find it interesting that several of the major AT contributors have this not-too-terribly-common stone.

Click to expand...

Those are really interesting info, I didn't know calcite is just so soft. I almost bought calcite beads to make into a bracelet for my husband and on second thought now it wouldn't hold up to daily use.

It may be worth getting a lapis lazuli if it calls out to you. I'm rough with my stuff as well, and wear the pieces I like daily. Now that I have a 7 month old baby the roughness factor just doubled! From the replies here it seems like lapis is tougher than it's usually made out to be.

Ohhh, shiny and deep deep blue! It looks like the silver bit on the top is glued on? If so, that's another ocnsideration.