Vintage Tibetan silver and gemstone necklace

Very nice vintage (approximately 1960's) necklace made in a traditional Tibetan style, with an eyecatching tibetan silver pendant with stone-paste inlay of lapis lazuli and coral.

Please note; as is often the case with necklaces such as these, not all stones are real gemstones. In this case; the stone-paste inlay in the pendant has been made with real, finely ground, lapis lazuli and coral, but the beads on the strings are faux (glass and synthetic). But of course this doesn't make it an any less beautiful item.

When looking at Tibetan jewelry (or the adornments on other richly decorated objects such as sacred statues and ritual attributes), you will find that some type of (gem)stone are used especially often. On one hand, this of course has to do with the simple fact of availability in the regions where those items have been made, but on the other hand also the symbolic meanings of these particular (gem)stones plays a big role.

Some of the stones used most often in Tibetan jewelry can also be seen in this necklace:

* Turquoise (in this case a turquoise colored howlite); probably the most revered gemstone of all. The sky-blue color symbolizes a connection to the Infinite Blue Sky, Great Spirit and our human souls as a part of that. It symbolizes life itself, heals our spirit and offers protection from the ancestors.
* Lapis Lazuli (in this case a stone-paste made with finely ground lapis in the pendant and lapis colored glass beads in the necklace); symbolizes the vastness of the sky and the sea and represents wisdom, truth, and spiritual exploration.
* Coral (in this case a stone-paste made with finely ground coral in the pendant and glass beads known as 'sherpa coral' in the necklace); represents life force, energy, vitality and strength. Also it symbolizes the blood of the Buddha.

The length of this necklace is 52 centimeters (measured only the 'circle' made by the strings, not including the length of the pendant). Size of the pendant; approximately 5,5 centimeters long. Total weight; 122 grams.

Unique item, only one available.