Lapis Lazuli's beautiful blue coloration has been used by artists for thousands of years as raw material for sculpting, pigment for frescoes and paintings, and source rock for gems and jewelry. Afghanistan is the world's leading source of lapis Lazuli. Many ancient civilizations believed it had religious significance and reflected their rulers’ high status. Michelangelo used it for the blue colors in his Sistine Chapel frescoes.
Semi-precious gemstone
Hardness:
5 - 5.5
Density:
2.5 - 3 g/cm³
On This Page
Properties
Health Risk
Values
Market Price
How to Care
Real vs Fake
Characteristics
Cultural
Common Questions
General Info About Lapis Lazuli
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Physical Properties of Lapis Lazuli
Texture
Non-foliated
Colors
Indigo, royal, midnight, or marine blue
Magnetism
Potentially Magnetic
Grain Size
Medium to coarse grained
Hardness
5 - 5.5 , Soft
Density
2.5 - 3 g/cm³, Normal Weight
Vulnerability
Delicate gemstone
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Optical Properties of Lapis Lazuli
Refractive Index
1.500-1.670
Pleochroism
None
Health Risk of Lapis Lazuli
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What is the hazards of Lapis Lazuli?
Harm Type
Others
Others
How to prevent the risks of Lapis Lazuli?
Avoid inhaling its dust!
Avoid putting it into mouth!
Lapis Lazuli is generally safe to handle. However, the pyrite commonly found in lapis Lazuli reacts with water or moisture in the air, releasing irritating sulfuric acid. Avoid getting lapis Lazuli wet and store it in a dry place with low humidity (below 60% is ideal). When cutting or polishing lapis Lazuli, wear a dust mask to prevent lung irritation from dust inhalation.
Discover the Value of Lapis Lazuli
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Rarity
Uncommon
Collection Recommendation
4.5 out of 5
Popularity
4.0
Aesthetic
4.6
Rarity
4.0
Sci-Cultural Value
4.3
The Market Price of Lapis Lazuli
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Color, clarity, and weight are the decisive factors affecting the price of lapis Lazuli. The highest-quality specimen should be uniformly dark blue, without calcite, and display small, attractively distributed flecks of pyrite; 100-200 g specimens of this type go for $40-100. The price of a 2.5 cm tumbled stone, of average quality, usually ranges from $3-$8/piece.
Rough/Tumbled Price
Smaller Than Hand (0-1.5in)
$1 - $15
Close Hand (1.5-3in)
$15 - $40
Equal To Hand (3-6in)
$35 - $80
Bigger Than Hand (>6in)
$80
Gemstone Price
Price
$1 ~ $10 /ct
How to Care for Lapis Lazuli?
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Durability
Nondurable
Scratch resistance
Poor
Toughness of Lapis Lazuli
Poor
Fair
Good
Excellent
The fair toughness of lapis Lazuli arises from its mixed mineral composition. Minerals such as calcite and pyrite impact its durability negatively, making it prone to damage in daily use.
Stability of Lapis Lazuli
Sensitive
Stable
Lapis Lazuli is susceptible to changes in appearance from water, heat, stains, and chemicals, making it less ideal for daily use where such exposures are common.
More Care Tips of Lapis Lazuli
Real vs Fake Lapis Lazuli
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5 Ways to Tell if lapis Lazuli is Real
Fake Alert Level:
Caution Needed
Low-quality lapis Lazuli may be dyed to enhance its color and hide any white calcite inclusions. This treatment is unstable and often requires a coating of colorless wax to prevent fading. It's advisable to wipe the stone with alcohol before wearing to ensure colorfastness and prevent dye from staining clothes or skin. There are products on the market claiming to be "Synthetic Lapis Lazuli," which actually possess different physical and chemical properties from real lapis Lazuli, making them mere counterfeits. Materials like Glass, Sodalite, dyed Howlite, dyed Magnesite, dyed Jasper, and plastic are often used to imitate lapis Lazuli. It is recommended to buy from reputable retailers and preferably request a certificate from a gem testing laboratory. Here are some handy tips to help you initially discern the authenticity of lapis Lazuli.
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Composition of Lapis Lazuli
The most important mineral component of lapis lazuli is lazurite (25% to 40%), a blue feldspathoid silicate mineral with the formula (Na,Ca)8(AlSiO4)6(S,SO4,Cl)1-2. Most lapis lazuli also contains calcite (white), sodalite (blue), and pyrite (metallic yellow). Some samples of lapis lazuli contain augite, diopside, enstatite, mica, hauynite, hornblende, nosean, and sulfur-rich löllingite geyerite. Lapis lazuli usually occurs in crystalline marble as a result of contact metamorphism.
Cultural Significance of Lapis Lazuli
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Uses of Lapis Lazuli
Lapis Lazuli is a versatile stone. It’s commonly used in jewelry as beads or cabochons. The blue-colored stone is also a favorite of artists. It is used in sculptures, mosaics, and inlays. For a long time, it was also crushed and used to manufacture ultramarine paint pigment. However, it has since fallen out of fashion due to its high cost and the availability of cheaper modern pigments.
The Meaning of Lapis Lazuli
Known to humans for more than 6000 years, lapis Lazuli was believed to be a magical and holy stone. In many ancient cultures, such as Roman, Greek, Mesopotamian, Egyptian, and Chinese, this stone symbolized royalty, wisdom, honor, and power. The stone was also associated with the afterlife and has been found in many Sumerian tombs. Reportedly, Cleopatra used the pigment derived from lapis Lazuli as an eyeshadow.
Etymology of Lapis Lazuli
Lapis is the Latin word for "stone" and lazulī is the genitive form of the Medieval Latin lazulum, which is taken from the Arabic لازورد lāzaward, itself from the Persian لاجورد lājevard. Historically, it was mined in Badakshan region of upper Afghanistan, but also mined in Lājevard, Persia. Lazulum is etymologically related to the color blue and used as a root for the word for blue in several languages, including Spanish and Portuguese azul.
Healing Properties of Lapis Lazuli
Lapis Lazuli is a powerful vibrating stone that stimulates the Third Eye chakra for greater enlightenment and spiritual wisdom. It is believed to intensify the connection with the spirit realm, aiding the user in the development of their psychic abilities. It is often used to remove negative thoughts and anger, encouraging harmony and balance for greater happiness and well-being.
Chakras
Throat, Third Eye
Common Questions People Also Ask
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