Rock Identifier
Lapis Lazuli (Complex silicate rock containing lazurite, calcite, and pyrite) — gemstone
gemstone

Lapis Lazuli

Complex silicate rock containing lazurite, calcite, and pyrite

AI-generated identification · may be incorrect

Hardness of 5 to 5.5 on the Mohs scale, deep blue color often flecked with gold pyrite and white calcite, vitreous to greasy luster, massive crystal structure with no distinct cleavage, specific gravity of 2.7 to 2.9

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Physical properties

Hardness of 5 to 5.5 on the Mohs scale, deep blue color often flecked with gold pyrite and white calcite, vitreous to greasy luster, massive crystal structure with no distinct cleavage, specific gravity of 2.7 to 2.9

Formation & geological history

Formed through contact metamorphism of limestone, predominantly found in the Kokcha River valley of Badakhshan province in Afghanistan, with deposits also in Chile, Russia, and the United States

Uses & applications

Widely used in high-end jewelry, carvings, mosaics, and historically ground into ultramarine pigment for master paintings

Geological facts

Lapis Lazuli has been prized since antiquity, heavily traded across the ancient world and used in the funerary mask of King Tutankhamun

Field identification & locations

Easily identified by its characteristic royal blue color combined with metallic brassy pyrite inclusions; best sourced from ethical mines in Afghanistan or Chile

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