Gold Vermeil Sterling Mano Fico Figa Snake Pendant Carved Lapis Lazuli 11.80 g

Description

MANO FICO PROTECTIVE HAND PENDANT GOLD VERMEIL STERLING, BLUE LAPIS LAZULI & EMERALD
Item #
:
183  0243
Type of carving
:
Natural Lapis Lazuli carving pendant (amulet / charm)
Design
:
Exceptionally fine and realistic carved human hand design wearing a bracelet ~ 3-dimensional carving. The hand is mounted in a beautiful double snake design Gold Vermeil over Sterling Silver setting.
Material
:
Genuine natural Lapis Lazuli from Afghanistan and 18K Gold Vermeil over genuine solid Sterling Silver ~ 18K gold-plated / 3-microns.
The bracelet is set with a genuine Emerald gemstone.
Gemstone
:
A genuine natural champagne green Emerald gemstone ~ round 2.0 mm diameter, brilliant cut in excellent eye-clean quality with just very minor natural inclusions ~ from Zambia / Africa
Plating
:
Very thick and durable ~ 3-microns 18K yellow Gold Vermeil over solid 925 Sterling Silver
Amount
:
1
(one) individual
piece
* All photos are taken from the actual item *
Weight
:
approx.
11.80 grams
Size
:
Length / height: approx.
54.72 mm
= 2.15 inches
Width: approx.
13.26 mm
Depth: approx.
12.65
mm
All measurements are taken at the widest points
Bail
:
This Mano Fico pendant has a bail inside diameter of
5.80 x 7.60 mm
diameter and will fit a chain, rope or cord with a diameter of
5.70 mm
and smaller.
The cord shown in the photos is for display only and is not included.
Origin
:
This gemstone carving is handcrafted in Bali (Indonesia) by o
ur in-house Balinese carvers.
The silverwork is handmade by out in-house master silversmiths.
Color
:
Blue, green and gold
Quality
:
Excellent deep and finely carved natural gemstone and new handmade gold-plated Sterling Silver design
Treatment
:
None ~ 100 % natural gemstone which has been heated to enhance the color.
Hand-crafted
:
This jewelry is made using ancient traditional techniques. Each piece is handmade and is not a machine mass produced item.
Each piece, silver parts and carvings are made one by one which make each piece a one-of-a-kind.
Hallmark stamp
:
This Sterling Silver pendant is hallmark stamped 925.
Mano Fico
;
THE MANO FICO
(FIG HAND)
The Mano Fico, also called figa, is an Italian amulet of ancient origin. Examples have been found from the Roman era, and it was also used by the Etruscans. Mano means "hand" and fico or figa means "fig," with the idiomatic slang connotation of a woman's genitals.
Whether made as an apotropaic gesture or worn as an amulet, the Mano Fico is used for magical protection against the evil eye. In this it resembles other hand gestures and hand images that ward off evil, including the Hamsa hand, the eye-in-hand, the Mano Cornuta (horned hand), and the interlocked thumb gesture. A regionally popular amulet, it is primarily found in Italy and in America among descendants of Italian immigrants. It also shows up on a Peruvian package amulet and in a South American charm vial, both reflecting colonial European influences.
The Mano Fico (fig hand, properly, ‘mano fica’) is an ancient obscene gesture, and is also one of the better known protective gestures against the evil eye. The thumb and fist gesture is an ancient representation of sexual union. The name is from the Italian word for the female vulva, fica, meaning fig (and also the origin of a well-known English obscenity).
The fig was associated by the Romans with female fertility and eroticism; the fruit was sacred to Bacchus. The gesture is used against the evil eye in the belief that an obscenity serves as a distraction to evil, even that demons are so repelled, that they flee at the sign.
About Lapis Lazuli
:
Lapis Lazuli
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 BCE, 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 BCE), and lapis beads have been found at Neolithic burials in Mehrgarh, the Caucasus, and as far away as Mauritania. It was used in the funeral mask of Tutankhamun (1341–1323 BCE).
By 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. Ultramarine has also been found in dental tartar of medieval nuns and scribes.
The most important mineral component of Lapis Lazuli is Lazurite (25% to 40%), a feldspathoid silicate mineral with the formula (Na,Ca)8(AlSiO4)6(S,SO4,Cl)1-2. Most Lapis Lazuli also contains calcite (white), sodalite (blue), and pyrite (metallic yellow). Some samples of lapis lazuli contain augite, diopside, enstatite, mica, hauynite, hornblende, nosean, and sulfur-rich löllingite geyerite.
Lapis lazuli usually occurs in crystalline marble as a result of contact metamorphism.
Color
The intense blue color is due to the presence of the trisulfur radical anion in the crystal.
Sources
Lapis Lazuli is found in limestone in the Kokcha River valley of Badakhshan province in northeastern Afghanistan, where the Sar-e-Sang mine deposits have been worked for more than 6,000 years. Afghanistan was the source of lapis for the ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian civilizations, as well as the later Greeks and Romans. Ancient Egyptians obtained the material through trade with Aryans. During the height of the Indus Valley Civilisation, approximately 2000 BCE, the Harappan colony, now known as Shortugai, was established near the lapis mines.
What is the spiritual meaning of Lapis Lazuli?
The holy men and shamans of the past certainly realized the spiritual power of Lapis Lazuli, it has adorned the burial chambers of the nobility of Ancient Sumeria and Egypt, been carved into amulets and talismans by Greeks and Assyrians and used as an aphrodisiac by the Romans. At least 6000 years of Sacred history is hard to ignore.
How about the modern world? Communication through social media has inhibited many of us when it comes to meeting people face to face and when that happens Lapis Lazuli will be your best buddy. It will give you the confidence and the courage to overcome uncertainty and insecurity and help you make new friends and possible lovers. Taking a Lapis Lazuli gemstone to a party is a sure-fire way to feel comfortable and relaxed.
It is an ideal meditation gemstone, you can clear your mind of negativity and pour in clear critical thoughts and energy. Lapis lazuli will then help manifest all your dreams and ambitions. If you are not practiced in the art of mediation simply place a Lapis Lazuli gemstone on the side of the bath while you relax in the warm soothing waters and let it do its work.
Lapis Lazuli is a lucky gemstone and that means lucky in love, with money and with your job, not only in gaining new love, wealth or employment but in enhancing current love and faithfulness, keeping your finances in order and advancing your present career.
Lapis Lazuli and the Chakras
Chakras are the energy centers in your body also known as Qi or Prana. There are seven Chakras throughout the body each influencing a particular physical, emotional or mental state and each has an associated color. The seven chakras are as follows, Crown linked with the color purple, Third Eye (indigo), Throat (blue), Heart (green), Solar Plexus (yellow), Sacral (orange) and Root (red). Depending on which color is most dominant in your Lapis Lazuli gemstone will determine which chakra it will have most influence on.
Lapis Lazuli is synonymous with the Throat Chakra. If you are having trouble communicating with loved ones or colleagues at work, this gemstone will help. If you cannot express yourself in the way that you wish or find yourself misunderstood by those around you, Lapis lazuli is the answer. Physically, sore throats, neck stiffness or pains, headaches through neck and shoulder tension are all symptoms of Throat Chakra issues and can be addressed with the help of this gorgeous blue gemstone.
Lapis Lazuli can also influence the Third Eye Chakra, especially the deep blue, almost violet specimens. Use this gemstone to organize and calm your thoughts and deal with any nightmares you may suffer.
Benefits of Lapis Lazuli.
Lapis Lazuli has physical benefits for the respiratory and nervous systems as well as blood circulation, blood pressure and pre-menstrual tension. Sore throats, trouble with the larynx and stiff necks, migraines and headaches as well as insomnia and dizziness can be alleviated by Lapis Lazuli.
We are often asked how to use gemstones for spiritual or health benefits and while we are certainly not experts in this field we have gained some experience and knowledge. Off-course wearing the gemstone as a piece of jewelry is the easiest way for it to influence your body. Lapis Lazuli pendants, necklaces and earrings are perfect for influencing the Throat and Third Eye Chakras.
Alternatively, they can be placed in your purse or pocket and used as a touchstone throughout the day. Hold crystals or place them in your lap while meditating. Easiest of all, just lay down with crystals on your body, lined up with the chakra points if possible.
Lapis Lazuli should be cleaned every month to keep it at its maximum potential. You can do this by running the stone under tepid water and drying it with a soft cloth. Do not soak it in water or leave a Lapis lazuli gemstone to dry by itself.
What is Gold Vermeil?
:
VERMEIL, which is pronounced "vehr-MAY," is 925 Sterling Silver with is plated with Gold.
Vermeil is a combination of Sterling Silver and Gold commonly used as a component in jewelry. A typical example is Sterling Silver coated with 18K or 24K Gold. To be considered VERMEIL, the gold must be at least 10 karats (42%) and be at least 2.5 micrometers thick. In the US and various other countries, Sterling Silver covered first with a base metal (such as nickel) and then plated with Gold cannot be sold as vermeil without disclosing that it contains base metal.
The word "VERMEIL" is a French word which came into use in the English language, mostly in America, in the 19th century as an alternative for the usual term silver-gilt.
Vermeil can be produced by either fire-gilding or electrolysis. The original fire-gilding process was developed in France in the mid-18th century; however, France later banned the production of vermeil because over time artisans developed blindness due to mercury involved in the process. Today, VERMEIL is produced by electrolysis which is much safer than fire gilding yet produces a very similar result
The White House has a collection of vermeil tableware kept on display (when not in use) in the Vermeil Room.
The Code of Federal Regulations 16, Part 23.5 defines Vermeil: "An industry product may be described or marked as 'vermeil' if it consists of a base of Sterling Silver coated or plated on all significant surfaces with Gold or Gold alloy of not less than 10 karat fineness, that is of substantial thickness and a minimum thickness throughout equivalent to two and one half (2 ½) microns (or approximately 1/10000ths of an inch) of fine Gold."
Less than 2.5 microns is NOT Vermeil and is considered as simple Gold plating only.
Vermeil Jewelry
Vermeil is a more expensive version of Gold plated jewelry. It consists of a 925 Sterling Silver base that is coated or plated with Gold.
And again, if the longest lifespan is in the first place for you, your option is VERMEIL
Vermeil is much more durable than simple very thin gold plating.
No wonder that the price is also high.
Gold plated jewelry
Gold plating is the term used to describe the process of plating jewelry made of either precious (silver) or non-precious base metal (zinc, nickel, copper) with a thin layer of gold, which is depositing by electrochemical methods. As it was said the layer is very thin and thus easy to scratch. It also naturally wears thin with time, exposing the metal below.
Remarks
:
This genuine gemstone & 18K Gold Vermeil over solid 925 Sterling Silver pendant is absolutely marvelous and made with exceptional detail.
The condition is new and excellent.
Don’t miss this opportunity to own this beautiful pendant
Our photographs have been enlarged to show details. Most details shown in the large image are actually not visible to the naked eye. We have made the image as close as possible to the original item when viewed on our screen. Depending on the viewers monitor settings, these items may appear a few shades lighter or darker in comparison to the original object.
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