Dolmens, a familiar sight in all corners of Irish landscape, are a type of prehistoric chambered megalithic tomb that consist of two or more vertical megaliths (large stones) supporting a horizontal capstone. Most dolmens date to the Neolithic period.
Unlike most of my other dolmen pendants, the megalith is not the focal point of this pendant. Appearing to be a plain gemstone pendant on the front, the back features a hidden landscape scene with a large portal tomb, surrounded with spirals, one of the oldest motifs in the world that often appears in carved rock art.
Lapis Lazuli is a blue rock with golden and white inclusions, containing lazurite, calcite and pyrite. It that has been praised since ancient times, with artefacts made of it found as early as 8th millennium BCE in the Indus Valley Civilisation. It was highly regarded by the Egyptians and used to create prestigious blue painting pigments during the Renaissance. Today it is often described as the "wisdom stone" and believed to have healing and mood improving properties.