Monday, March 21, 2011

The Beauty Of Lapis Lazuli

Lapis Lazuli, one of the oldest gems known to man. It is actually not a gemstone, or a mineral, but a combination of minerals making it a really beautiful rock. Lapis can be this lovely dark blue, as shown, or a lighter blue. It is always opaque and not translucent. It can be carved into various ornamental carvings, such as the beautiful elephant shown, or the lovely cabachon perfect for jewelry making. The darker blue is more valuable, and as far as value stones without any other minerals seen in it, have a higher value. The gold flecks, or pyrite, seen in the stone shown are valued by many customers, and actually sought after. It's healing powers are to help aid in sore throats, mental clarity, and to help calm the mood. The largest and oldest mine is found in Afghanistan. It is very often confused with Sodalite. A true beauty, Lapis Lazuli.











3 comments:

betchai said...

glad to learn something new again from your post Melissa, especially that I am such a naive on stones.

Reeni said...

I didn't know it was a combination! It's so pretty - it reminds me of the night sky.

Melissa said...

Thank you Betchai and Reeni, and Reeni that I think is one of the things that draw people to this stone. It does look a lot like the night sky with the stars and all.

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