Lapis Button Bead necklace. Beads are said to be “button” cut when the shape has a flattened dimension to it. There is a pleasing imperfection about this strand, for the beads, though around the same size, are all handcut to be just that, approximately the same size; every bead is slightly different. Also, these beads are not uniform in colour; they all possess the distinctive ultramarine blue of the gemstone Lapis Lazuli, but with variations, from unblemished deep dark blue to lighter blues and beads with strong calcite inclusions.
This is a  distinctive Lapis Lazuli strand, gemstone origin the harsh mountainous region of the north-east of Afghanistan. The beads were handcut in Jaipur, probably from the same gemstone rock.
The necklace is strung in Sydney, on Tiger-tail, plastic-coated wire, very strong, though when not worn the strand should be stored flat, for when Tiger-tail is scrunched and bent, the kink can be difficult to remove.