Lapis Lazuli

Hardness: 5.0 - 5.5 (Mohs scale); Color: Intense deep blue, often with golden pyrite specks and white calcite veins; Luster: Vitreous to greasy; Structure: Granular/Massive; Specific Gravity: 2.7 - 2.9

Formed through contact metamorphism of limestone or marble by hydrothermal processes. Typically found in skarn deposits where heat from magma has altered the surrounding rock. Found in ancient geological formations over 60 million years old.

Used primarily in jewelry (cabochons, beads, inlay), decorative carvings, and historically ground into powder for the pigment 'ultramarine'. In construction, it is used for high-end mosaics and counter inlays.

Lapis lazuli has been mined for over 6,500 years. It was highly prized by Ancient Egyptians for amulets and jewelry, including King Tutankhamun's funeral mask. It is a rock, not a mineral, because it is a combination of lazurite, pyrite, calcite, and sodalite.

Identify in the field by its distinct 'royal blue' color combined with metallic-looking gold specks (pyrite) and white patches (calcite). It is commonly found in Afghanistan (Sar-i Sang), Chile, Russia, and Myanmar. Unlike synthetic 'lazuli,' natural specimens usually show random patterns of these secondary minerals.