Gem Library

BUYER’S OVERVIEW:
Lapis Lazuli is considered to be a semi-precious gemstone and while relatively rare in nature, large, clean natural stones are available (for a price). Lapis Lazuli has been sought after since antiquity for its intense deep azure blue color, often flecked with golden pyrite inclusions. Treasured by royalty since the time of the ancient Egyptians and Babylonians, the finest Lapis has no white calcite veins and small pyrite inclusions. The small patches of pyrite often help in identifying the stone as genuine and do not detract from its value.

COLOR:
Lapis Lazuli is a medium to dark, slightly violetish or azure blue often veined or flecked with pyrite, and / or white to gray calcite.

APPEARANCE:
Semi-translucent to opaque.

SIZE RANGE:
1 to 25 carats; large specimens are available.

TYPICAL CUTTING STYLES:
Opaque: cabochons, beads, inlays, carvings and tablets.

POSSIBLE ENHANCEMENTS & TREATMENTS:
Lapis Lazuli is sometimes dyed or subjected to paraffin coating to improve its color and to hide calcite inclusions. The stability of this treatment is fair and Lapis that has been treated this way should be kept away from solvents.

HARDNESS:
5 to 6 on the Mohs scale.

BEST USE OF THE GEMSTONE:
Lapis Lazuli is not a strong gemstone and as such, earrings, pendants, pins, and tie tacks are probably the safest choice for this stone. Rings should be limited to occasional wear and the stones should be set with a protective setting. Avoid rough handing.

CARE & CLEANING:
It is best to never expose colored gemstones to cleaning solvents or chemicals of any kind.
Common cleaning methods include:
Ultrasonic: never
Steamer: never (can remove enhancements)
Warm soapy water: safe, damp cloth is best
Reaction to Chemicals: will be damaged by acids and solvents
Reaction to Heat: stone will lose or change color with intense heat.
Stability to Light: generally stable after prolonged exposure to sunlight or UV light.

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THIS GEMSTONE:
The origin of the name Lapis Lazuli is not straight forward as Lapis is Latin for “stone” and Lazuli is from the Medieval Latin word “lazulum”, it coming from the Arabic word “lazaward”, which is ultimately from the Persian “lazhvard”, the name of the place where Lapis Lazuli was mined. The ultimate translation of Lapis Lazuli means literally, the “stone of Lazhvard”. Lapis Lazuli is not in fact a mineral but rather a rock, being made up of at least four minerals; lazurite, sodalite, hauynite and diopside all of which are gems in their own right.

Persian legend says that the heavens owed their blue color to a massive slab of Lapis upon which the earth rested. In ancient Egypt Lapis was a favorite stone for amulets and scarabs and it was used by the Babylonians and Assyrians to make seals. Lapis Lazuli has been mined in the Badakhshan province of Afghanistan for over 6,000 years, and trading of the stone is ancient enough that Lapis beads and jewelry has been found in Predynastic Egyptian and Neolithic burial sites. Powdered Lapis was used as eye shadow by Cleopatra and many of the blues used in Medieval manuscripts and Renaissance art were derived from Lapis pigments. When Lapis Lazuli is ground down into a powder and processed to isolate the Lazurite, the pigment Ultramarine is formed. Until the 19^th century, when a synthetic was made, this clear, bright blue color cost a princely sum.

DESIGNATION:
Lapis Lazuli was the birthstone of December until 1958 when it was removed from the chart. It is also the gemstone for the 9^th wedding anniversary.

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