Lapis Lazuli

Gemstones

Lapis Lazuli

Lapis Lazuli is a bright blue metamorphic rock whose name comes from the Persian word 'Lazur' meaning 'blue stone'. It usually has inclusions of either white calcite or golden pyrite. For more than 6000 years, it has been used as a precious gem and traded throughout Africa and Europe. Egyptian cultures made a practice of burying a Lapis Lazuli scarab with their dead, and believed it to offer protection. Lapis lazuli is regarded by many people around the world as the stone of friendship and truth. The blue stone is said to encourage harmony in relationships and help its wearer to be authentic and give his or her opinion openly.

Colors:	The prices of this gemstone are largely dependent on the beauty and intensity of the color. The most popular is an intense, deep blue, with a minimal amount of spotting or streaks of white.
Shapes:	Lapis Lazuli, being an opaque gemstone, is cut into cabochons and beads, and used mainly in bracelets, necklaces, and pendants.
Origin:	Lapis Lazuli can be found in Chile, the Soviet Union, the United States, but most significantly from the mountains of Afghanistan.
Care:	Lapis Lazuli should always be protected from acidic substances and not be exposed to too much sunlight.
Notes:	The worth of this stone to the world of art is immense, as the ultramarine blue paint of the Old Masters is nothing other than genuine lapis lazuli. Ground up into a powder and stirred up together with binding-agents, the gemstone was used to make radiant blue paints before it became possible to produce the color synthetically.