Hello Gabriel,

Are you certain your "lapis" beads from Mauritania are not scorzalite? Scorzalite is native to that region, and looks very similar to lapis. Whereas lapis would have to be imported. (The color actually looks more like sodalite—but one cannot judge color well on a screen.)

Jamey

Dear Jamey,

Scorzalite is native from the region but is extremely rare and locally far more expensive than Lapis and the quantity available is genrally very small. As you say, Lapis is probably imported but, from time to time, craftwomen of Zouerate produce Lapis beads (like, I think, the beads proposed on my website) which are probably recut from old beads. I would be very happy if theses beads were Scorzalite due to rarety and high price of this mineral.

What I propose to do is to post some pictures of Scorzalite to compare. I will do that during this week-end if I am lucky enough to find some scorzalite on the market. One of my loyal suppliers has a very big and heavy strand of Lapis. If he OK I will take a photo of the strand and will post it.

Thank you for having opened the discussion on the interesting subject of Lapis ans Scorzalite.

Sincerly yours,

Gabriel

After a quick research made with the help of Evelyn it appears that the mineral involved is Sodalite (Jamey mentioned in his post a similarity between colours). I amend the representation of my strand
accordingly.

Thank you again Evelyn and Jamey for your help.

Gabriel

Hello Gabriel,

I am familiar with scorzalite, having seen the first such beads brought into the US from Mauritania in 1989 or 1990 (by Howard and Marie-José Opper—who then provided a good article about this material for Ornament). I believe I can tell scorzalite from lapis on-sight, in spite of their similarity.

The surprising issue, for me, was the idea that there is lapis from this region. In my years of studying North African beads, I don't recall ever seeing any (imported) lapis—and I would be inclined to expect that any lapis beads found there are fairly recent. The same might be said for sodalite beads. Of course, this is a generalization, and there are bound to be some exceptions to it. I'm just saying I don't know of any.

Although scorzalite is rare and expensive, I have handled at least three long necklaces of these beads, now in private collections. There is a very good strand at The Bead Museum.

Jamey

the blue is much clearer than lapis. And also different to sodalite. The matrix is a very pale beige-green, ivory with slight greenish tint, almost like very clear amazonite. the blue in the smaller bead is a little darker but not to be confounded with lapis.

Hi, I've spoken with the women that mine these stones and the only reason they call them lapis is because someone else mis-identified them to these women! They don't really know what they are. I've seen the beads and touched them so, I know they are certainly not lapis and of course, not scorzalite! Scorzalite is very expensive! These women know scorzalite and Amazonite quite well but, they do not know the name of these blue stones!

Dear Jamey,

I have just received this message from Evelyn proving that this blue mineral is definitely Sodalite and is produced locally:

QUOTE

I have just found further information which is proof that our blue beads can only be Sodalite - please read:

"Trial quarries have been opened close to the Nouadhibou-Choum-Zouerat railway on a number of the basement lithologies including sodalite-bearing syenite, anorthosite, garnetiferous quarzofeldspathic gneisses and pyroxene-bearing gneisses."

from: Mining Journal special publication, London,
February 2006 [page 3]

UNQUOTE

Evelyn added the link you will find below.

Sincerly yours,

Gabriel

At Tucson, I was shown some beautiful strands of new amazonite beads, purchased in Morocco. Has anyone seen these yet? Their color is remarkably bright teal blue (and a somewhat darker tone in some strands). The beads are large and chunky, not precisely cut—but handsome—and in shapes that remind me of the barrel and oblate shapes typical of African "amber."

I first saw these at the stall of Abdul Wais at Riverwalk. He was frank that they were new beads (which was apparent anyway). At The Gem Mall, I found a chap who had a group of these beads (and pendants), but was selling them for double the cost quoted by Abdul, with the story that they were "ancient." It would have cost $65 to buy a single pendant (for specimen purposes), though he offered it to me for $50. Still much too high.

I wish I had gotten a photo—but I assumed they would be around for a while.

JDA.

Hi Jamey, I've come across new-ly cut Amazonite from Zourate, Mauritania! Of course, the stones are not new but, they are recently cut! But, you seldom see whole strands because of the work involved in mining and cutting! The beads from this area are absolutely beautiful!!!! Anyone would pay the price to own them. I've seen some of the newly cut beads from Morroco but, they are most obviously newly cut. I even doubted if, the materiel was really authentic Amazonite! There is also a beautiful powder glass bead from mauritania made to immitate Amazonite! These are absolutely fantastic. I'm surprised that I have never seen them posted on this forum!

Samples of these three minerals for comparison of colours.

First photo : Strand of Lapis Lazuli. 1745 gr. Largest bead 40 mm. Smallest bead 25 mm (Courtesy of Mamadou Cisse)

Second photo : Scorzalite. 10 beads. 22 gr (Courtesy of Housseini Zabeirou)

Third photo : Strand of Sodalite. 43 beads. 138 gr. Largest bead 17 x 23 mm (African Beads and Memory)

Gabriel

Read :

First picture : Lapis Lazuli
Seconf picture : Sodalite
Third picture : Scorzalite

Gabriel

gabriel, I would bet alot that this strand of lapis Lazuli was imported into Mauritania!!! The craftwomen can't make perfect spheres like this. Their beads are crudely cut, exception being a few strands of un-identifiable beads that they showed me. Plus, I know this trader very, very well!!! Be very careful of the stories that your told! (enough said!!!)

Dear Christine,

I have never told that this important strand is from Mauritania. I have said nothing about it apart the weight, the dimensions of the largest and the smallest bead and the name of the owner. I have consequently never told that it has someting to do with the craftwomen of Zouerate. I think, like you, that it is imported.

Sincerely yours,

Gabriel

These women that hew and cut these stones and minerals are very brave! It is very hard and tedious work! In speaking with these women they admit there are stones that they cut that they just do not know how to identify. I plan to post some exemples of these stones!I hope in the future to spend more time with some of these women!

Zourate is so rich in stones of all kinds! I guess that someone has imported lapis in exchange for some of the other stones! It is not a far-fetched idea because many new beads were brought to Africa in exchange for old beads! The new beads are better money makers in that they can sell faster and at a lower price , whereas, the old ,more valuable beads can sit there waiting for the few collectors that can pay the price!