2" Natural Blue Lapis Lazuli Worry Palm Stone Pyrite Crystal Calcite Mineral

Location: Afghanistan

Weight: 1.3 Ounces  

Dimensions: 2 Inches Long, 1.4 Inches Wide, 0.3 Inches Thick

The item pictured is one you will receive.  

Hardness: 5.5

Lapis Lazuli is a composite of lazurite, calcite, and pyrite, with trace amounts of additional minerals, and notably excludes lazurite despite common misconception. The name translates to “blue stone” from Latin and Persian or Arabic origins. Its use by humans spans over 6,500 years, with ancient civilizations like Mesopotamia, Egypt, China, Greece, and Rome valuing it for its striking blue hue, comparable to sapphire and turquoise. The finest lapis lazuli is sourced from Badakhshan in modern Afghanistan, a rugged mountainous region known for its challenging terrain and prized azure deposits.

Dating back to 700 BC, when the region was known as Bactria, the lapis mines continue to operate, making them the oldest commercial gemstone sources in the world. Historic trade routes saw merchant caravans carrying these valuable blue stones from Bactria to major ancient civilizations, including the Greeks, Indians, Egyptians, Mesopotamians, and Persians. Despite Marco Polo’s mention of these mines in 1271, their remote and harsh location has kept them largely unseen by outsiders.