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

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

* The Mohs scale was invented in 1812 by the 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 fascinated for centuries and its name has changed many times but always in reference to its azure blue color, like a sky dotted with stars punctuated by gold. It was introduced to Europe under the name Ultramarinum (overseas) alluding to its origin 'beyond the seas'.

Lapis lazuli is an opaque stone with a matte luster, whose value depends on the intensity of its blue color. Indeed, the more it contains white calcite veins or pyrite flakes, the less value it has.

Once it was considered a precious stone more valued than gold itself. Although nowadays it is ranked as a semi-precious stone, it previously held an equivalent status to diamond in modern societies.

Since Antiquity, Lapis Lazuli has mainly served as a pigment for painters. 
It is this pigment that will be, for example, used to create the sky of the Sistine Chapel in Rome. 
The ultramarine blue, of a bright azure color, was only dethroned in 1826 when J. B. Guimet developed a low-cost 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 gems, Lapis Lazuli is said to have spiritual powers.

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

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

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

It is the stone of wisdom that in Egypt was often carved in the shape of a scarab and worked like a precious stone. It is a stone that soothes and rests; psychologically and spiritually, lapis lazuli elevates the soul and stabilizes the mind. 

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

Lapis Lazuli stones come from several deposits around the world.

 Afghanistan:
The historical deposit of Sar-e-Sang, famous historical deposits of lapis lazuli, is located at about 2,500 m altitude in the Badakhshan province.
 Chile:
The deposit of the Chavin people, known since the 2nd millennium BC, is located at an altitude of 3600 m not far from the current Argentine-Chilean border.
 Russia:
Located in Siberia, it was discovered in 1797 during an expedition organized by the Empress of Russia Catherine the Great. The deposit was not discovered until 1851 in the valleys of Slioudianka, Talaya, and Lazurnaia. It is a low production as the rock is mainly exploited for cement manufacturing.
 United States:
Of a very intense blue, it has been sporadically exploited since 1939 in the Italian Mountains in 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 has been exploited since 1971 for local craftsmanship.
 Burma:
It islocated in the Dattaw valley, not far from the ruby mines of Mogok.

 Passage of the Epic of Gilgamesh in 2650 BC.