rock
Lapis Lazuli
Lapis Lazuli (Rock containing lazurite, calcite, and pyrite)
Hardness: 5-6 on the Mohs scale. Color: Deep blue with white calcite veins and brassy pyrite flecks. Luster: Vitreous to greasy. Crystal structure: Isometric (individual minerals). Cleavage: None distinct. Specific gravity: 2.7-2.9.
- Hardness
- 5-6 on the Mohs scale
- Color
- Deep blue with white calcite veins and brassy pyrite flecks
- Luster
- Vitreous to greasy
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Physical properties
Hardness: 5-6 on the Mohs scale. Color: Deep blue with white calcite veins and brassy pyrite flecks. Luster: Vitreous to greasy. Crystal structure: Isometric (individual minerals). Cleavage: None distinct. Specific gravity: 2.7-2.9.
Formation & geological history
Formed through contact metamorphism of limestone, typically associated with intrusive magmatic activity, creating skarn deposits.
Uses & applications
Used in jewelry, ornamental carvings, inlay work, and historically ground into ultramarine pigment for fine art.
Geological facts
Lapis lazuli has been mined for over 6,000 years in the Badakhshan province of Afghanistan. It was prized by ancient civilizations including the Egyptians, who used it extensively in funerary masks, most notably that of King Tutankhamun.
Field identification & locations
Easily identified by its rich royal blue color combined with distinctive golden pyrite flecks (fool's gold) and white calcite matrix. Major deposits are found in Afghanistan, Chile, Russia, and the United States.
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