A vibrant stone that has been used in Eastern jewelry since ancient times, lapis lazuli is massively underrated!
There are few gemstones that are as rich in saturation as Lapis Lazuli, and that is one of the many reasons why we love it so much. For thousands of years, the only known source of “Lapis” for short was Afghanistan, and it was traded far and wide across the Middle East, Europe and Africa for use in jewelry and cosmetics. The ancient Egyptians even used powdered lapis as medicine! Today, Lapis is also mined in Chile and Argentina, but many people still highly prize the Afghan variety as it has the deepest blue hue.
One of the coolest things about Lapis Lazuli is that it’s actually a combination of three different minerals: lazurite, pyrite, and calcite. The pyrite is responsible for the little “gold flecks” that you often see, while calcite can give it white patches or streaks.
Not all Lapis that is carved or faceted has calcite patches, so don’t be surprised if you don’t see any! Many cutters will choose sections of lapis that have the most even deep blue color, with minimal to no white and maybe only a few pyrite gold flecks.
Another one of our favorite things about Lapis is the fact that jewelry designers can do so many different things with it, such as using it for bead strands, carving it into pendants, or using it as inlay (just like the ancients used to!).
Lapis Lazuli’s versatility and vibrancy has truly stood the test of time. We hope you fall in love with this classic blue hued gemstone and find a piece that speaks to you!