metamorphic
Lapis Lazuli
Complex mixture of minerals, primarily Lazurite (Na,Ca)8(AlSiO4)6(S,Cl,SO4,OH)2
Hardness: 5-5.5 (Mohs scale); Color: Deep celestial blue with golden pyrite inclusions and white calcite streaks; Luster: Dull to greasy; Crystal structure: Usually massive/granular; Cleavage: None (it is a rock, not a single crystal); Specific gravity: 2.7-2.9
- Hardness
- 5-5
- Luster
- Dull to greasy
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Physical properties
Hardness: 5-5.5 (Mohs scale); Color: Deep celestial blue with golden pyrite inclusions and white calcite streaks; Luster: Dull to greasy; Crystal structure: Usually massive/granular; Cleavage: None (it is a rock, not a single crystal); Specific gravity: 2.7-2.9
Formation & geological history
Formed through contact metamorphism, where heat and pressure from magmatic intrusions transform limestone or marble. The most famous deposits in Afghanistan are approximately 65 million years old.
Uses & applications
Used extensively in jewelry (cabochons, beads), decorative carvings, and historically as a pigment (ultramarine) in Renaissance paintings and the mask of Tutankhamun.
Geological facts
Lapis lazuli was pulverized into the world's most expensive blue pigment, ultramarine, used by artists like Vermeer and Michelangelo. Marco Polo famously visited the mines in Badakhshan in 1271.
Field identification & locations
Identify by its unique 'starry night' appearance: vivid blue base, speckles of gold-colored pyrite, and white calcite marbling. Major locations include the Sar-e-Sang mines in Afghanistan, Chile, Russia, and Lake Baikal.
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