Montblanc Solitaire Ramses II Ballpoint Pen with Lapis Lazuli
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Montblanc solitaire Ramses II ballpoint pen with twist mechanism. Cap is lapis lazuli with vermeil (gold plated) on silver (stamped Ag925). Body is Vermeil 22ct. Comes together with box and papers.
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- Vermeil - Gold vermeil is sterling silver (.925 silver) plated with gold. The process originated in France around 1750. The technique was called fire gilding. Jewellery makers applied mercury and gold to the silver and exposed the metal to extreme heat. The heat caused the mercury to vaporize and the layer of gold to adhere to the silver. The qualify as vermeil, the gold layer with which the silver is plated must be at least 10-carat gold
The mercury vapours generated by the heat caused many artisans to become blind, and France made this process illegal in the 1800s. Modern gold vermeil is usually created using an electrolytic process, which is much safer than fire gilding yet produces a similar result.
Vermeil is usually found in jewellery and watches, and occasionally in dinnerware.
In the White House, the residence of the President of the United States, there is a Vermeil Room sometimes called the "Gold Room," which houses the collection of vermeil bequeathed to the White House in 1956 by Mrs. Margaret Thompson Biddle. The Vermeil Room serves as a display room and, for formal occasions, as a ladies sitting room. - Lapis Lazuli - Lapis lazuli is a semi-precious deep blue coloured stone, sometimes with gold inclusions, that has been used for thousands of years for jewellery, decorative items and decoration.
It is mined in Afghanistan, Siberia, Chile, USA and Burma. The mines in north-eastern Afghanistan are the largest source of lapis lazuli, and have been operating for over 6,000 years.
They were the source of the stone for the ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman civilsations.
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