Azure stone, sky studded with stars, blue material punctuated with gold... We tell you everything or almost everything about Lapis Lazuli.

Band  : Lapis Lazuli
Hardness  : 5 – 6 Mohs*
Density  : 2.38 – 3.00

* The Mohs scale was invented in 1812 by mineralogist Friedrich Mohs to measure the hardness of minerals.

Lapis Lazuli is a stone of variable composition, of a very intense dark blue that can vary according to the abundance of its main mineral element, Lazurite (sodium and calcium aluminosilicate rich in sulfur). It takes its name from the Latin Lapis (stone) and the Arabic Azul (blue).

This stone has been a source of passion for centuries and its name has changed a lot, but always in reference to its azure blue color, like a sky studded with stars punctuated with gold.  It was introduced into Europe under the name Ultramarinum (overseas), alluding to its origin.  beyond the seas  ".

Lapis lazuli is an opaque stone with a matte sheen, which  shoot  its value as a function of  the intensity of its blue color.  In fact, the more veins of white calcite or pyrite fragments it contains, the less valuable it is.

It was once considered a more valuable gemstone than gold itself.  Although it is now considered a semi-precious stone, it previously occupied the same place as a diamond in modern societies.

Since ancient times, Lapis Lazuli has been used mainly as a pigment for painters.
It is this pigment which will be, for example,  employee  to create the sky of the Sistine Chapel in Rome.
Ultramarine blue, a bright azure color, was not dethroned until 1826 when JB Guimet developed an inexpensive synthesis method.

Natural Lapis Lazuli is expensive, it is often dyed to enhance its color.

It can be reconstituted just like Turquoise but these will have much less value.

Like all gemstones, Lapis Lazuli is said to have spiritual powers.

In lithotherapy it is a very powerful stone which stimulates creativity and contributes to the elevation of the spirit by making the mind calm and more concentrated.

In the Middle Ages, the stone was renowned for its rejuvenating benefits on the body, it was said that it helped maintain healthy limbs.

It is said to be beneficial on many levels. For example, it is said to help with various eye disorders, its energetic action can help fight against certain allergies and also reduce  fever....

It is the stone of wisdom that in Egypt was often cut into the shape of a scarab and worked like a precious stone. It is a stone that soothes and rests, on the psychological and spiritual level, lapis lazuli elevates the soul and stabilizes the mind.

It is a stone that brings the  wisdom, self-confidence, intuition and creative expression.

Lapis Lazuli stones come from several deposits around the world.

Afghanistan  :
The historic Sar-e-Sang deposit, famous historical lapis lazuli deposits, are located at an altitude of about 2,500 m in Badakhshan province.
Chile:
The home of the Chavin people, known since the 2nd millennium BC, is located at an altitude of 3,600 m not far from the current Argentine-Chilean border.
Russia:
Located in  Siberia, he  was discovered in 1797  during an expedition organized by the Russian Empress Catherine II the Great. The lodge was not discovered  than in 1851 in the valleys of Slioudianka, Talaya, and Lazurnaia. This is a low production because the rock is mainly exploited for the manufacture of cement.
UNITED STATES :
Of a very intense blue, is used episodically  since 1939 in the Italian Mountains of Colorado, about 200 km southwest of Denver.
Canada:
It has been known to the Eskimos for a long time and is located not far from Lake Harbour on BafFm Island. It is  operated since 1971 for local crafts.
Burma:
He islocated in the Dattaw Valley, not far from the Mogok ruby ​​mines.

Passage of the Epic of Gilgamesh in 2650 BC