Lapis Lazuli Teardrop Pendant in Sterling Silver, by Martinez

This blue was once worth more than gold.

For most of recorded history the only real source of lapis lazuli was a single mountain range in northeastern Afghanistan. Painters ground it into ultramarine, the most expensive pigment in Europe, priced above gold by weight. That is why Renaissance painters saved it for one subject: the robe of the Virgin. If a patron wanted this blue in a painting, they paid for it specifically.

Look closely and you will find flecks of gold scattered through the stone. That is pyrite, and it is a good sign. Natural lapis carries pyrite and often a little white calcite. The uniform, flawless, almost plastic blue you see in cheap jewelry is usually dyed howlite or reconstituted powder. Real lapis has weather in it.

This is a big, confident teardrop with a deep saturated color and a glassy polish, hung from a matching lapis bail so the blue carries all the way up. The sterling is deliberately plain. With a stone like this, the silversmith's job is to get out of the way.

Turn it over and it is signed Martinez, sterling.

The details
Stone: lapis lazuli with natural pyrite inclusions
Metal: sterling silver
Hallmark: Martinez, sterling
Pendant: 1 inch long, 1 1/2 inches including the bail
Chain: not included, hangs on your own
One of a kind: yes, a single piece

This pendant is designed to hang from your favorite necklace chain, so you can pair this teardrop with the simple chain you already love. The built-in lapis bail gives you an uninterrupted line of blue from chain to stone, making it an easy piece to add to an existing everyday stack or a single, standout pendant look.

Wildflower is a turquoise shop first, so lapis has to earn its place here. This one did.

Because the setting is clean sterling silver and the shape is a classic teardrop, this works well as an everyday pendant or as the one special piece you reach for with jeans and a T-shirt or a simple dress. It is meant to be worn, not just admired in a box.

This one-of-a-kind lapis pendant also makes a distinctive gift for someone who loves unique gemstone jewelry, especially for occasions like birthdays or other personal milestones where a single, signed piece of silver and stone feels right.