Afghanite is a rare blue mineral, and much that is sold under the name is really lapis lazuli or sodalite. It is mostly a collector's stone.
Silicate (feldspathoid, cancrinite group)
Afghanite
Afghanita
- Palette
- Blue White
- Mined in
- Afghanistan, Germany, Italy, Tajikistan, Russia, United States, Canada
- Hardness
- Mohs 5.5–6.0 ?
- See-through
- translucent
- Known since
- 1968
- Named for
- Afghanistan, where it was first found
- Intention
- Strength Calm
- Looking for
- Communication Focus and clarity
- Water
- Keep it dry; wipe with a soft cloth
- Dye or finish
- Bead sellers rarely say what is done to afghanite, so take the color as undisclosed: check for dye at the drill hole and in cracks before calling a lot natural.
Not in our pieces now
STONE SUMMIT
Sar-i Sang, the Afghan mine where afghanite was first found, is a Persian name that means "stone summit."
TUTANKHAMUN
Lapis lazuli from the same Afghan mine turns up in the Royal Treasure of Ur and in the tomb of Tutankhamun.
PITIGLIANO
In Pitigliano, Tuscany, afghanite grows in altered limestone fragments caught inside pumice from a volcano.
What it is
Afghanite is a rare blue mineral, light to deep blue and sometimes colorless, first found in the lapis lazuli mines of Afghanistan. It grows in small veins alongside lazurite and sodalite-group minerals. It is mostly a collector's stone, and blue stones sold as afghanite are often really lapis or sodalite.
Where it comes from
Almost all afghanite comes from the Sar-e-Sang lapis mine in Badakhshan, Afghanistan, where it grows in white marble; tiny white crystals also occur near Lake Baikal in Russia and Lake Vico in Italy.
In history
Afghanite was first found in 1968 in the Sar-i Sang lapis lazuli mine in Badakhshan, Afghanistan, and was named for the country.
What's said about it
The books we checked have no lore for it, so what people say comes from lapis lazuli, found in the same mines. In crystal lore, lapis is the stone people keep for speaking plainly and thinking clearly.
Lapis has been prized since ancient Egypt, where it was set in burial jewelry. People wear blue stones like these as a bracelet or pendant, or keep one in a pocket.
How people wear or keep it: On the wrist, as a pendant near the throat, or in a pocket.
In crystal practice
In the crystal tradition, afghanite is paired with the third eye and crown chakras, so practitioners rest it there during meditation or lie down with it in place for a few quiet minutes. Day to day, the same tradition suggests keeping it close: on the wrist, as a pendant near the throat, in a pocket. People reach for it when they want communication, focus and clarity, and many set an intention when they put it on. Most practitioners cleanse a new stone first (running water only if the stone can take it, otherwise smoke or moonlight) and set it aside now and then to rest.
These are beliefs people have held and still hold about the stone, reported as such. Nothing here is a promise or a medical claim. We sell stones as jewelry, not for these effects.
Associations
The chakra and star sign this stone is usually matched with. These are popular traditions, not facts about the stone.
ChakraThird Eye, Crown
ZodiacScorpio
ElementWater
Care
- Keep it away from knocks and from harder stones; it is rare and can chip.
- Wipe with a soft dry cloth; skip water soaking, ultrasonic cleaners and steam.
- Keep it from perfume, acids and solvents.
- Because it is rare, ask a seller for proof before paying for a bead called afghanite.
How to tell what you have
- Real afghanite is a rare blue to colorless mineral that grows as small veinlets in lapis lazuli rock, so most pieces are small and tied to that rock. Hardness is 5.5 to 6 and it is fairly light (about 2.6 times water).
- Blue beads sold under this name may really be lapis, sodalite or dyed stone, so ask which lot it is; real afghanite is seldom cut as beads.
Questions people ask at our table
What is afghanite?
A rare blue mineral first found in 1968 in the lapis lazuli mines of Badakhshan, Afghanistan. It forms thin veins next to lazurite and sodalite-group minerals.
Is it the same as lapis lazuli?
No. Lapis lazuli is a rock made mainly of lazurite, and afghanite is a separate mineral found in the same mines. The two can look alike.
Is the blue bead I see online really afghanite?
Often not. It is rare, and blue beads sold under the name are usually lapis lazuli, sodalite or dyed stone. Ask for a lab report.
Does it glow?
Under ultraviolet light it fluoresces bright orange.
Do you carry afghanite?
No, we do not carry it. Sodalite and blue apatite are the blue stones in our pieces that come nearest.
Not in our pieces right now
Stones we do carry that are close to it are listed under related stones.
Stay in the loop
Sign up to hear about new product drops, upcoming events, and the latest from Peritik. No spam, just the good stuff.