Older lapis lazuli silver pendant

An older pendant from a Tibetan jewelry collection.

The pendant consists of an exceptionally large, deep blue round lapis lazuli set in silver . The back is elaborately chased with the two golden fish (Tib. གསེར་ཉ་, gser nya).

The piece comes from an extensive collection of Tibetan jewelry from the 19th and 20th centuries and was probably never worn. Both the quality of the lapis lazuli and the silver workmanship are of exceptionally high quality.

Dimensions:

• Diameter (without eyelet): 3.4 cm
• Eyelet diameter: 5 mm

Lapis lazuli is a deep blue, opaque semi-precious stone that has been prized for its beauty and spiritual properties for thousands of years. Its name comes from the Latin lapis (stone) and the Arabic lazaward (sky or blue). The stone is said to promote intuition, communication and inner peace by supporting the third eye and throat chakra. It helps to calm the mind, create harmony and ward off negative energies.

The two golden fish (Tib. གསེར་ཉ་, gser nya) are one of the eight Tibetan symbols of happiness and stand for freedom, happiness and fearlessness. They symbolize overcoming obstacles, as fish move freely in the water, and in Buddhism are considered a sign of spiritual liberation and enlightenment. In Tibetan art, they are often depicted in pairs with curved bodies to represent harmony and the unification of opposites.