Chicago Bears! is a 3 strand necklace celebrating the team colors that I grew up watching with my entire family! In fact, if the game was on TV and we weren't wearing blue and orange, my mom would make up go change or add on something with the Bears team colors! I used antique African Trade beads that were the original inspiration for this necklace. Also there are Carnelian ovals, Denim Lapis Lazuli flat rounds and little 2mm Sodalite rounds. This necklace is finished with orange Delica Glass spacer beads and a Silver filled toggle clasp. The shortest strand is 18 1/2 inches long and the longest one is 21 1/2 inches long.

The healing properties of the gemstones are as powerful as the bright colors of Chicago Bears!! firemountaingems.com says, "From antiquity, carnelian has been worn in cameos in the belief that it would ward off insanity and depression. In contemporary times, carnelian is thought by some to enhance self-esteem and creativity, to combat feelings of inadequacy, to increase physical energy and overcome insomnia. In the home, carnelian is believed to increase motivation towards action. It is sometimes used as a talisman to protect against fire and misfortune. Carnelian is associated with the solar plexus chakra (the yellow chakra), in which imbalances are thought to cause digestive problems, as well as lack of confidence."

Lapis lazuli is one of the oldest opaque gemstones in history--more than 6,500 years! This deep blue stone includes tiny flecks of mica, like a night sky full of stars. It's most well-known source is deep in the mountains of modern Afghanistan.

This stone's two-part name comes from two different cultures: lapis is a Latin word meaning "stone," while lazuli comes from the Persian word lazhuward, meaning "blue." It is not an element nor a mineral--it is a rock containing multiple minerals: lazurite, diopside, calcite, pyrite and more.

Biblical scholars believe that references in the Old Testament to "sapphire" actually indicate lapis lazuli, as the sapphire gemstone was not known in the Middle East before the Roman Empire. Beloved by the ancient Egyptians, Babylonians, Minoans, Chinese, Greeks and up to the Romans, this deep blue stone has been used in the finest of art through the ages. One of the most famous uses of the stone is in the death mask of King Tutankhamen, where it is inlaid with turquoise and carnelian in bright gold. One of his successors, Cleopatra, was known to use ground lapis lazuli as eyeshadow. Marco Polo wrote about the lapis lazuli mines way back in 1271!

In the middle ages, painters ground up lapis lazuli to make the deep blue paint called ultramarine--the blue used to paint the robes of Mary of Nazareth on church walls and ceilings like in the Sistine Chapel. Meanwhile, in South America, pre-Columbian cultures such as the Diguita and Inca were carving, trading and warring over lapis lazuli from mines in what is now Argentina and Chile.

The Sumerians believed that the spirit of their gods lived within the stone, while the ancient Egyptians saw it as a symbol of the night sky. Since the earliest of times, lapis lazuli has been associated with strength and courage, royalty and wisdom, intellect and truth.

From antiquity, lapis lazuli has been worn in the belief that it will ward off evil. In ancient Egypt, it was powdered and worn about the eyes to improve eyesight. Today, it is considered by some to be an aid to balancing the brow chakra (which influences vision and hearing). Imbalances of the brow (or blue) chakra are said to cause headaches, anxiety and disorders of the skin."

"Sodalite is sometimes considered a guardian for heroes and heroines, especially those speaking truth to power. It's believed to have the ability to unite logic with intuition and the drive for truth with the rise of idealism. Practitioners have used sodalite to organize the mind, as it's said to promote rational thought, objectivity and perception. It is sometimes thought to cleanse lymph nodes and boost the immune system. All these balancing abilities are why sodalite is often used in groups with other stones and among multiple users."

These cobalt blue gems are also thought to help us speak our truth!

This necklace is fun, bright, happy, and if you're a fan or any teams with Blue and Orange colors, this is a great cheering squad necklace!