Story
LAPIS LAZULI
High in the valley of Sar-e Sang in North Eastern Afghanistan lie mountains streaked with seams of deep blue rock. This iconic stone – Lapis Lazuli - has obsessed humans for millennia. Once so exclusive it was reserved for the funeral masks of Pharaohs, and for the brush tips of the Renaissance’s most renowned artists, the price of Lapis Lazuli equalled the price of gold right up until the industrial age. Afghanistan is home to the world’s largest deposit of Lapis Lazuli.
AFGHAN JEWELLERY
In 1978 an Afghan-Soviet team of archaeologists discovered a hoard of over 20,000 ornaments, jewellery, and precious artefacts in northern Afghanistan. Dated back to the first century BCE, the Tillya Tepe hoard is renowned for its staggering beauty and finesse.
Afghanistan’s rich jewellery tradition continues to this day. Since 2016 we have worked with master jewellers and gem cutters based in the old city of Kabul. Stimulated by influences from across the ancient silk road and tribal traditions within Afghanistan, Afghan jewellers benefit from direct access to an array of fine precious and semi-precious gemstones, exceptional natural materials and invaluable inherited knowledge.
