Lapis lazuli is a deep blue rock, not one mineral: blue lazurite with white calcite and gold-colored pyrite flecks. Some lapis is dyed, and dyed howlite is sometimes sold in its place.
Rock (lazurite with calcite and pyrite)
Lapis Lazuli
Lapislázuli
- Palette
- Blue White Multicolor
- Mined in
- Afghanistan, Chile, Russia, Pakistan
- Hardness
- Mohs 5.0–5.5 ?
- See-through
- opaque
- Known since
- Prehistoric
- Named for
- Latin 'stone' plus Persian lazhward, the name of the blue gem
- Also sold as
- lapis, lazurite rock, ultramarine stone, sapphire of the ancients
- Intention
- Strength Calm
- Looking for
- Communication Focus and clarity Confidence and self-worth
- Water
- Keep it dry; wipe with a soft cloth
- Dye or finish
- Much lapis is dyed to deepen or even out the blue, and some beads are other blue stones sold as lapis. Natural lapis shows gold pyrite flecks and white calcite.
Not in our pieces now
7570 BC
Lapis lazuli artifacts dated to 7570 BC turned up at Bhirrana, the oldest known site of the Indus Valley Civilisation.
10 TIMES
The natural ultramarine pigment ground from lapis cost roughly ten times as much as the stone it came from.
6,000 FRANCS
In 1824 a prize of 6,000 francs was offered for making ultramarine artificially, and Jean Baptiste Guimet had a secret process by 1826.
What it is
Lapis lazuli is a deep, rich blue rock rather than a single mineral: blue lazurite, with white veins of calcite and flecks of gold-colored pyrite. Much lapis on the market is dyed to hide the white, and dyed howlite or jasper is sometimes sold as lapis.
What gives it its color
The blue comes from lazurite, a mineral whose color is made by small chains of sulfur atoms; the white veins are calcite and the gold flecks are pyrite.
Where it comes from
The main and oldest source is the Sar-i Sang mine in Badakhshan, Afghanistan, worked for more than 6,000 years; Russia (near Lake Baikal) and Chile are other notable sources.
In history
Lapis has been mined at the Sar-i Sang mines in Badakhshan, Afghanistan, for more than 6,000 years, and lapis beads lie in Neolithic burials at Mehrgarh. It was inlaid in the Royal Tombs of Ur in the 3rd millennium BC, in the eyebrows and eye surrounds of Tutankhamun's gold mask, and in medieval Europe it was ground into ultramarine paint, used by Vermeer.
What's said about it
In crystal lore today, lapis is the stone people reach for when they want to speak plainly and honestly. It is thought of as a stone of truth and clear thinking.
Ancient Egyptians prized it and thought the gold flecks were stars. Medieval artists ground it into ultramarine blue. Today it is worn as a necklace or earrings, or carried in a pocket.
How people wear or keep it: On a necklace near the throat, as earrings, in a pocket, or in a room where talking matters.
In crystal practice
In the crystal tradition, lapis lazuli is paired with the throat and third eye 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 a necklace near the throat, as earrings, in a pocket. People reach for it when they want communication, focus and clarity, confidence and self-worth, 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.
ChakraThroat, Third Eye
ZodiacAquarius, Pisces, Sagittarius
BirthstoneDecember
ElementAir
Also calledlapis, lazurite rock, ultramarine stone
Care
- Fairly soft and a mixed rock, so it scratches and wears with everyday knocks; bracelets take more wear than earrings or pendants.
- Wipe with a soft damp cloth and dry at once; avoid soaking, steam and ultrasonic cleaners.
- Keep away from acids, perfume and household cleaners, which can dull the surface and lift dye or wax.
- Store separately in a pouch so harder stones do not scratch it.
How to tell what you have
- Lapis is a rock, not a single mineral: blue lazurite with white calcite veins and gold flecks of pyrite. Top-quality material is a deep uniform blue.
- Stones used as stand-ins include sodalite, dyed jasper or howlite, dumortierite, and man-made lapis, so a blue with no pyrite or calcite at all is worth a question.
- It is sensitive to heat and to household cleaners, so keep it away from steam and acids.
What sets the price
Strands cost more when the blue is deep and even with little white or gray and only a few gold flecks; lots that are heavy with white calcite or gold, or that are dyed to hide it, are worth less.
Rules and sourcing
Much of the world's lapis lazuli comes from mines in Afghanistan, and a human-rights group has raised sourcing questions about who profits from them, so a buyer can fairly ask where a strand's lapis came from. Much lapis is dyed to deepen or even out the blue, and some beads are other blue stones sold as lapis. The FTC jewelry guides call for a seller to disclose dye and to name a different stone for what it is.
Questions people ask at our table
What is lapis lazuli?
A deep blue rock, not a single mineral. It is mostly lazurite, with white calcite and flecks of gold-colored pyrite through it.
Is the gold in lapis real gold?
No. The glinting flecks are pyrite, sometimes called fool's gold. Pyrite flecks are one of the signs of genuine lapis.
Is lapis dyed?
Often. Lower-grade lapis is dyed blue to hide white calcite and then waxed or oiled to seal it. Dyed howlite is also sold in its place.
Where does lapis come from?
The finest has come for thousands of years from the Sar-i Sang mines in Afghanistan. Chile and Russia are other sources.
How should I care for lapis?
It is fairly soft, so handle it gently: wipe with a soft cloth, avoid soaking and keep it away from acids and strong cleaners.
Not in our pieces right now
Stones we do carry that are close to it are listed under related stones.
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