1.9" Natural Blue Lapis Lazuli Worry Palm Stone Pyrite Crystal Calcite Mineral
Location: Afghanistan
Weight: 1.4 Ounces
Dimensions: 1.9 Inches Long, 1.5 Inches Wide, 0.4 Inches Thick
The item pictured is one you will receive.
Hardness: 5.5
Lapis Lazuli is not a single mineral. It is a combination of lazurite, calcite, and pyrite, with small amounts of other minerals. Contrary to common belief, it does not contain lazulite. Lapis Lazuli literally means "blue stone" from Latin and Persian or Arabic.
The association between humans and lapis lazuli extends back over 6,500 years and was esteemed by ancient civilizations, including Mesopotamia, Egypt, China, Greece, and Rome. This gemstone was prized for its intense, vivid blue color, rivaling other valuable blue stones such as sapphire and turquoise. Located in present-day Badakhshan, Afghanistan—a harsh, mountainous region reaching elevations of 17,000 feet with steep ravines—these mines have been the exclusive source of high-quality lapis lazuli since at least 700 BC, when the area was known as Bactria. These mines are recognized as the oldest commercial sources of gemstones globally. Historically, merchant caravans transported this valuable stone across Bactria to major centers of the ancient world, including Greek, Indian, Egyptian, Mesopotamian, and Persian cities. Though noted by Marco Polo in 1271, the remoteness and rugged terrain of the mines have kept them largely inaccessible to outsiders.
