Carved Lapis Lazulli Fish

Lapis Lazuli Carved Fish  Largest 65mm L x 28mmW x 10mm D    Smaller one 37mm L x 20mm W x 8mm D  5-6 Hardness              Sold as a pair  Half-drilled at the mouth

I purchased these charming Lapis Lazuli fish carvings at the Tucson Gem & Mineral show a long time ago. What drew me to these pieces was the man who was selling them. He was from Afghanistan, at a time when their country was at war. He told me about how the Lapis was carried out from the mines on the backs of the miners. They would only carry the material out during a new moon or the darkest of night. He wanted me to know that they were people supporting their families. These charming fish are rather crudly cut with little polishing and layers of calcite. But they tell a story of survival which, to me, makes them a very powerful symbol.

Not sold separately