mineral
Lapis Lazuli
Complex silicate rock containing lazurite, calcite, and pyrite
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 true 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 true cleavage, specific gravity of 2.7 to 2.9
Formation & geological history
Formed through contact metamorphism of limestone, predominantly sourced from the Hindu Kush mountains of Afghanistan as well as Russia, Chile, and the United States
Uses & applications
Widely 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 6,500 years and was highly prized by the ancient Egyptians, who used it in funerary masks such as that of Tutankhamun
Field identification & locations
Easily identified by its distinctive royal blue color combined with metallic brassy pyrite inclusions; best found in metamorphic contact zones with limestone
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