Fabrics : superfine qualities

Lapis Lazuli

After incorporating both gold and diamonds in its cloths, Scabal is proud to introduce today lapis lazuli, an ancient stone that has always appealed to man’s imagination.

Lapis lazuli - literally “blue stone” has been extracted and revered for more than 6000 years. In ancient Mesopotamia this stone was the reserve of the ruling class. It was the Romans who gave it its present name: “lapis”, which means stone in Latin; “lazuli” is a deformation of azul, which is the Arab word for blue and has been handed down to us via the Spanish language and the Moorish occupation of the Iberian peninsula. Since time immemorial lapis lazuli has been known for its therapeutic properties. It is said that this stone has a beneficial effect on the immune system.

Lapis lazuli was also appreciated for its aesthetic characteristics. From the fifteenth to the mid nineteenth century it formed the basis of ultramarine, an intense blue that decorated many paintings and frescos during the Renaissance. Using ultramarine was considered as being a sign of wealth.

Today lapis lazuli is used in jewellery and in alternative therapies, both of a physical and a spiritual nature, to counteract throat infections or to heal dysfunctions of the spinal cord, the thymus and the immune system. It is considered to be the stone of total conscience, which opens the third eye and enhances the mental faculties. In astrology, lapis lazuli is associated with Sagittarius.

At first sight, precious stones and wool of the highest quality have only little in common. Unless, of course, Scabal endeavours to establish this association. Scabal has succeeded in integrating microscopic particles of lapis lazuli in an ultra-fine bale of wool from Australia. This Super 150’s of average weight (280 g) can be worn all year round and has some special characteristics. It offers optimum fibre length, shrinkage and superior forming. The cloth has a paper press finish, which gives the finished product a natural shine and a unique appearance. As always with Scabal, the production process for an exceptional cloth is the result of the combination of the latest techniques and mechanical applications, on the one hand, and manual craftsmanship, on the other. The stone has been reduced to microscopic particles by a process of polishing, which is a technique used exclusively in jewellery-making until now. The microscopic particles of lapis lazuli are evenly distributed by hand at the end of the weaving process and are then captured by the straightened fibres and integrated harmoniously in the cloth.

The Lapis Lazuli collection is available in fourteen different designs, each with its own style and characteristics. Each one suggests lapis lazuli, as was the tradition in Renaissance painting. This exceptional cloth will doubtless entice men seeking quality, who appreciate discreet luxury