Lapis lazuli is a deep-blue stone, often studded with gold or white flakes. Mainly mined in Afghanistan and Chile, it is used to create luxurious jewelry and objects, symbolizing nobility and strength. Compared with other stones, lapis lazuli stands out for its intense color and rich history, making it a preferred choice for those seeking elegance and authenticity.
The name of this natural stone means "blue stone". It comes from the Latin lapis, meaning mineral, and the Arabic lazul, meaning blue.
This gemstone, formerly known as "semi-precious stone", has fascinated mankind since the dawn of time. Over the centuries, lapis lazuli has been considered a symbol of health, nobility, luck, divine strength, power, courage, elegance and purity.
This fine stone has often been used to create luxurious objects and sumptuous jewelry. In prehistoric times, lapis lazuli was already mounted in jewelry or worn as an ornament. The Egyptians used it to adorn the funerary masks of the Pharaohs and to create lucky charms in the shape of an eye or a beetle.
In the Middle Ages, this blue stone was also ground into powder to make ultramarine-blue pigments. It was then used to dye fabrics or to paint supports and paintings, as can be seen on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel or on Vermeer's painting The Girl with the Pearl.
This natural stone belongs to the Feldspathoid family. Its hardness ranges from 5 to 6 on the Mohs scale and its density from 2.5 to 3.
It is composed of lazurite. It also contains pyrite in the case of golden flakes and calcite in the case of white flecks.
Lapis lazuli is a magnificent deep-blue stone, with golden or white flakes depending on its composition. Our ancestors used to say that its color could be reminiscent of a starry sky.
Lapis lazuli is often confused with sodalite.
The main lapis lazuli deposits are found in Afghanistan, where the oldest deposits have been discovered, but also in Chile, where it is considered the national stone. There are also deposits in Peru, Angola, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Russia, Burma and North America.
In lithotherapy, Lapis Lazuli is said to have a calming effect on stress, and to enhance communication and self-confidence. This blue stone is also said to boost the creative spirit.
It is linked to the throat chakra (5th chakra) and the frontal chakra, also known as the Third Eye (6th chakra).
Please note: our gemstones are not sold for lithotherapy. Natural stones are no substitute for medical expertise or treatment.
If you wish to clean your lapis lazuli stone, you can purify it in clear, pure or distilled water.
To recharge your lapis lazuli, place your fine stone directly under moonlight, ideally when it's a full moon.
Lapis lazuli's intense blue color goes well with warm colors such as gold-filled or gold-plated, or even rose gold.
If you prefer silver jewelry, 925 Silver or Stainless Steel will enable you to create coolly elegant pieces.
In lithotherapy, lapis lazuli goes very well with other blue stones such as apatite, sodalite, larimar, blue aventurine or aquamarine. You can also pair it with amethyst, fluorite, labradorite or moonstone. These stones give off similar energies and enhance calm and serenity.
On the other hand, they should not be combined with red jasper, malachite, black obsidian or onyx. These stones are too powerful and energizing, and would attenuate the benefits of Lapis lazuli.
But if you choose a lapis lazuli stone solely for its beauty and brilliance, then any stone is permissible! Simply match it with the ones you like...
No, lapis lazuli does not contain gold in the chemical sense. It often contains small inclusions of pyrite, a naturally golden iron sulfide. It's these shiny metallic flakes that sometimes give the impression that there's gold in the stone.
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