Lapis Lazuli - Ancient Gemstone

Executive Summary about Gemstone By Ron Nash

There are few gemstones with as long and romantic a history as lapis lazuli. Lapis lazuli was one of the earliest gemstone materials. Historians believe that Cleopatra used powdered lapis for eye shadow. The ancient royal Sumerian tombs of Ur, located near the Euphrates River in lower Iraq, contained more than 6,000 beautifully executed lapis lazuli statuettes of birds, deer, and rodents as well as dishes, beads, and cylinder seals.

Powdered lapis was also the source for the blue pigment known as ultramarine, used by painters from the Medieval period through the Renaissance. The synthetic version of ultramarine was discovered early in the 19th century and the use of expensive lapis for pigments quickly declined.

Lapis is one of the few gemstones that is a rock rather than a mineral. That is because lapis is normally a mixture of 3 minerals: lazurite, calcite and pyrite. Lazurite, a complex mineral containing sulfur, is the essential ingredient of lapis and gives it its vivid blue color. Calcite is calcium carbonate, a white mineral responsible for the white streaks in many specimens of lapis. Pyrite is an iron sulfide which is white-gold in color and lends lapis its distinctive glitter.

The finest lapis is a deep intense blue. High quality lapis is smooth and fine grained with a smoothly polished surface. Collectors look for a minimum of calcite. The calcite can be seen as white streaks or patches within the darker blue, or it can be distributed throughout the specimen, giving the rock an overall lighter blue hue. Lapis is a fairly soft stone, ranging from 5 to 6 on the Mohs scale. Lapis is almost always cut as cabochons or beads, or carved into a variety of ornamental objects. Though there are many choices today in blue gemstones, lapis can fairly be said to be the original blue stone. GemSelect is a leading online dealer in fine gemstones, specializing in sapphire, spinel, tourmaline and zircon. Fine Lapis Lazuli

Lazurite As A Jewelry Gemstone

Executive Summary about Gemstone By Mitch Endick

Lazurite is known by several different names in the gem world and is widely known as lapis lazuli or lapis or, in ancient times, blue rock. This stone should never be confused with lazulite valued as a semiprecious gemstone for many thousands of years, this stone is prized for its deep blue, almost azure color. This is a soft stone so care must be taken when wearing or cleaning jewelry pieces. Gem cutters are not very enthusiastic about cutting raw lapis since it emits a very unpleasant sulfur smell much like that of rotten eggs. Lapis is most often found in varying shades of blue to azure and occasionally yellow or translucent stones can be seen. Lapis has been part of ancient royalty and is unique in its color and alternate uses.

History

With a history dating over six thousands of years, this stone dates back to ancient kingdoms of Babylonia and Persia. The brilliant deep blue color was very often associated by ancient cultures with the blue of the heavens. Many famous art pieces of the Renaissance period employed ultramarine pigments including paintings and frescos. The presence of contaminant minerals such as pyrite can be seen as gold flecks in the stone and these are less desirable specimens. The absence of discolorations can add to the appearance and value of the stones. Lapis can be found in California, Chile and Siberia and the best quality stones are said to come from Afghanistan.

Birthstone Information

New Age Beliefs and Powers Through The Ages

The ancient history of lapis has resulted in a wealth of mythology and popular folklore. Many of the ancients believed that powers of persuasion and focus of energy was granted to teachers possessing the stone. The ancient Egyptians are thought have used lapis as part of certain religious rites. The New Age community has ascribed certain healing and metaphysical properties to lapis including the ability to ward off depression and relieving aches and pains. Believed to promote higher levels of spirituality, the stone has gained a reputation for being very helpful during the practice of meditation.

Artificial Forms of Enhancement

There are no known methods of enhancing the color or appearance of this stone.

Color

The stones are most often found in shades of blue, yellow or colorless.

General Scientific Information

The chemical name (Na,CA)8(AlSiO4)6(SO4,S,Cl)2 referred to as Sodium Calcium Aluminum Silicate Sulfur Sulfate.

Hardness measures 5.0 to 5.5 on the Mohs scale - the Mohs scale measures the hardness of metals, minerals, gemstones and crystals on a scale of 1 to 10. Diamond is the hardest known substance on the Mohs scale coming in at a hard 10. To most consumers hardness generally reflects the stones able to resist scratches and cracks.

There is no cleavage found in lapis lazuli.