330mm Gemstone globe 3-legged in blue Lapis lazuli.

In 1996, Timmersgems took the first step as a European gemstone wholesaler by importing a unique globe made of gemstones, beautifully inlaid with precious stones from various countries. This innovative idea earned us the European Innovation Award in Hamburg. To this day, there are three sizes (150, 220, and 330 mm) and two versions (a standing globe or a tripod model) available of the Lapis globe. Additionally, in 2008 we developed the Onyx globe for the Board of Directors at Philips, and in 2011 the Mother-of-Pearl globe was added. In 2019, the presentation of the largest and unique lapis globe took place at the jewelry and watch fair in Basel. This unique globe can now be admired as a centerpiece at Mineralium. So, with the primary types of stones in three different sizes, we come to more than 10 models for the standing variant and also various models for the tripod version. One-of-a-kind designs, each and every one! The production of our globes takes place in Hong Kong. Our globes are a true work of art, handcrafted mosaics made from more than 35 different gemstones in a single globe. In one globe, there are more than a thousand hours of labor. The globe is coated with a 'plastic coating' that ensures the raised letters remain safe, even when the globe is touched, and our meridians are made with 585/000 (''14 Karat''). Yellow gold - Fully guaranteed authentic gemstones, without colorful imitations (these are easily recognizable by the folds on the globe). Lapis lazuli, also known as lazurite, is an opaque semi-precious stone distinguished by its deep blue hue. It is not a mineral but rather a rock because it is composed of various components. The largest extraction mainly takes place in Afghanistan. The crucial component of lapis lazuli is lazurite, which makes up between 25% and 40%. This mineral acts as a substitute for feldspar. Other essential elements include calcite in a bright white hue, sodalite with its enchanting blue color, and pyrite, which shines with a metallic golden luster. Additionally, the minerals augite, diopside, enstatite, micas, hauyne, hornblende, geyerite (a sulfur-containing variant of lollingite), and nosean can also be found in lapis lazuli. Lapis lazuli does not have the highest hardness for a gemstone. With a hardness of 5.5 on the Mohs scale, the stone can easily be scratched by harder gemstones. So it is not the wisest to store lapis lazuli jewelry together with harder gemstones. Alternative healers attribute spiritual energy to lapis lazuli. Lapis lazuli typically forms as a result of contact metamorphism within the host of crystalline marble. Since ancient times, lapis lazuli has been a well-known gemstone. In the ancient city of Ur, bustling trade already took place in 4000 BC. It was one of the valuable trade goods in the exchange between Sumer, Dilmun, and Meluhha. It also enjoyed great popularity in ancient Egypt. It served, among other things, as inspiration for the death mask of Tutankhamun. Throughout the entire Middle East, the hunger for these products was so great that as early as the 13th century BC, people began creating imitations. In the city of Sidon, for example, beautiful cylinder seals of King Annipi and his father Adummu have been discovered, which have acquired a deep, dark blue hue with the help of cobalt salts. Lapis lazuli was also used in powdered form as a brilliant blue pigment, known as ultramarine, which was particularly popular in Renaissance painting.