About Lapis Lazuli Jewelry
Lapis lazuli is easy to recognize because of a distinct combo of a deep blue color and gold flecks. This semi-precious gemstone has been in use since antiquity. It’s considered one of the oldest gems in history as it’s 6,500 years old. Being a base for ultramarine color, lapis had a crucial meaning for the Renaissance and Baroque artists. For instance, a famous bright blue scarf of Vermeer’s Girl with a pearl earring was painted by using ultramarine. Today an amazing color of lapis remains in favor among jewelry designers and their clients.
Lapis contains such minerals as lazurite, pyrite and calcite. The sulfur content of lazurite provides the blue color. The gold specks come from pyrite inclusions. The color palette of the gem varies from deep purple and royal blue to turquoise and even greenish blue. Quality of the rock measures by content of blue lazurite along with golden color iron pyrites.
The most common cuts for lapis are cabochon or beads. Inlays are widely used for lapis cufflinks and bracelets. Cartier’s and Webb’s greatest hits have been made of lapis within the history of the brands.
About Angela Cummings Brand
Angela Cummings is one of the most prominent fine jewelry designers and women jewelry designers. Many of her famous designs were inspired by nature and by three-dimensional art of sculpture. Even though she grew up in the USA, Angela Cummings received her art and jewelry education in Europe. She studied painting in Italy and gemology and goldsmith in Germany.
When she came back to the United States late in 1960s, she was right away hired by Tiffany & Co. and became Tiffany’s in-house designer. In 1974, she was the first woman who had a named collection, “Angela Cummings Exclusively for Tiffany & Co.” Soon after that Tiffany created named collections by Elsa Peretti and Paloma Picasso.
In the 1970s and 1980s, Angela Cummings created her distinctive inlaid designs with semiprecious stones such as coral, jade, lapis lazuli, jasper and organic mother of pearl that she became famous for. Nowadays, these designs are highly sought after and very collectable.
What made Angela Cummings’s designs recognizable are the sensuous gracefulness, deep inspiration by nature and natural forms and biomorphic use of precious metals.
Angela Cummings retired in 2003. She moved to Utah to enjoy spending more time with her family.
Angela Cummings jewelry features gemstone jewelry, diamond jewelry and precious metal jewelry including platinum jewelry and gold jewelry. Our estate jewelry collection comprises of vintage Angela Cummings bracelets, rings, earrings, and necklaces.
