Lapis lazuli

Lapis lazuli is a deep-blue metamorphic rock used as a semi-precious stone that has been prized since antiquity for its intense color.

Etymology

The name lapis lazuli is derived from the Latin lapis ("stone") and the Persian lazhward ("blue").

Composition

Lapis lazuli is composed of lazurite, along with calcite, sodalite, and pyrite, and other minerals. The intense blue color is due to the presence of the trisulfur (S3) radical anion in the crystal structure of lazurite.

Occurrence

The principal sources of lapis lazuli are the mines in northeastern Afghanistan and the Andes Mountains in Chile. Other less important sources include the Lake Baikal region of Russia, Siberia, Angola, Argentina, Burma, Pakistan, Canada, India, and in the United States in California and Colorado.

Uses

Lapis lazuli has been used for many thousands of years in jewelry, carvings, and amulets. It was also ground into powder and used as a pigment in paints, and as a cosmetic in ancient civilizations.

History

Lapis lazuli was being mined in the Badakhshan province of Afghanistan as early as the 7th millennium BC. During the height of the Indus Valley Civilisation, approximately 2000 BC, the Harappan civilization situated near the Chenab River in what is now Punjab, Pakistan, had developed a large production capacity for lapis lazuli artifacts.

Cultural significance

Lapis lazuli has been associated with power, wisdom, and spiritual enlightenment in many cultures. It was often used in burial ornaments of Egyptian kings and queens. The stone also appears in the biblical story of The Exodus, and is mentioned in the Book of Revelation.

See also

• List of minerals
• Semi-precious stones
• Metamorphic rocks