Azurite Beads (13)

Azure Blue

Azurite is such an ancient stone that its very name has come to mean ‘blue’. Pliny the Elder mentioned azurite in his Natural History as ‘kuanos’, which means ‘deep blue’ and is also the root for the Latin word ‘caeruleum’ and the English word ‘cyan’, both of which are synonyms for ‘blue’. Because of their deep blue color, azurite beads have long been connected with the sea and the sky.

Copper Indicator

The blue color of azurite beads comes from the presence of copper. As a matter of fact, azurite is found along with copper ore, and is considered an indicator of the presence of copper in that area. It is sometimes confused with lapis lazuli, another blue mineral which is sometimes found in the same area.

Blue Green Beads

Azurite beads are so strikingly beautiful that they are best used as focal pieces for pendants or as a full string for a bracelet or necklace. The dark blue color flecked with green is perfect all by itself, or these beads can be combined with small chips of other gemstones for contrast. Azurite is a soft mineral and can’t take heat, so large azurite beads such as cabochons need to be set using low temperature techniques.

Pigment

Another use for azurite is to grind it into a powder which will give a blue pigment. Depending on how finely it was ground and what it was mixed with, azurite was used to create many different colors of blue. It was the predominant pigment used in oil paintings in the Middle Ages, probably because azurite was mined in France and Germany, and lapis lazuli, another source of blue pigment, came from the Middle East.

Healing Properties

The brilliant blue of azurite beads is thought to have a transformative quality to improve communication, intuition, creativity and inspiration. Some people use azurite to open the third eye chakra during meditation.

Three Part Pledge

the Bead Traders’ Three-Part Value Pledge ensures that you get the best beads for your money. Customers benefit from our practice of bulk buying with low prices. Every bead we sell is inspected for quality, and if we have to make a substitution, you will always receive beads of better quality than the ones you originally ordered. Come to the Bead Traders for all your gemstone needs.