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Lapis Lazuli is known for its special look.
By Maatie Kalokoh — Written on Jun 13, 2020
What makes the Lapis Lazuli so meaningful?
The Lapis Lazuli is a special blue metamorphic rock that has been used for many healing purposes.
Its shiny vibrant color makes it great for jewelry and other decorations.
What is the spiritual meaning of Lapis Lazuli ?
This stone is associated with the importance of respect and compassion.
The color blue represents trust. It's the color of the sky, which is expansive and symbolizes freedom.
Among spiritual circles, the Lapis Lazuli has been believed that this stone is an amalgamation of purity and meaning.
Another large factor in the crystal’s popularity is in its healing properties.
Many believe that Lapis Lazuli has the power to encourage one’s self-awareness and helps improve honesty and clarity in someone’s life.
It is said that you will begin to see these positive changes when the crystal is incorporated in everyday life.
This stone not only has aesthetic qualities but it is also mystical.
It is believed that this stone will give you wisdom and inner strength and can help one become a better decision-maker.
It can also bring harmony to your relationships and will give you mental clarity.
This healing stone is not only great for its healing properties for personal improvement but it also great for clearing negativity within its environment.
Here are some other fun facts about this precious stone and why Lapis Lazuli is a treasured gem:
What is the Lapis Lazuli made of?
This stone is made when limestone or marble has been altered by igneous intrusions which creates its layers and its vibrant blue color.
Where can you find Lapis Lazuli in nature?
This rock is found naturally in Afghanistan and Lapis Lazuli can be created naturally and also artificially.
The main difference between the two is that man-made Lapis Lazuli is much cheaper and contains a blue dye to get a certain shade of blue that occurs naturally.
Real stones are often more expensive and sought out than the man-made stones.
What crystal family is the Lapis Lazuli in?
In ancient times the semi-precious stones Lapis Lazuli was thought to be of the sapphire family.
Historically, This stone was also considered very special in a few ancient countries like China, Egypt, Greece, Rome, and Mesopotamia among many others.
When did people start using the Lapis Lazuli for energy work?
Interestingly, there is enough evidence that states that the relationship between man and Lapis Lazuli dates back to 6500 years.
What is the meaning of the word "Lapis Lazuli"?
The present name Lapis Lazuli is said to have derived from Latin in which the word Lapis Lazuli stands for stone and Azul stands for all shades of blue.
The quality that sets this stone apart from others is its pure color.
How to identify a high-quality Lapis Lazuli?
The rich and deep blue color is free of any kind of white calcite veining and pyrite i.e. golden flecks.
Gem experts and enthusiasts have always appreciated its special midnight blue color.
This is because the presence of calcite changes the color of the stone to a special blue and specks of pyrite interfere and change the overall texture of the ornamental stone.
Ancient Egyptians have also ground the stone into a powder that was added to cosmetics.
Also, painters during the Renaissance movement used this gemstone to make a unique ultramarine blue shade, which was said to be a very expensive pigment noted for its brightness and long-last color.
These days the stone is still used to renovate and restore paintings of historic importance.
Afghanistan is said to be the best-known source for Lapis Lazuli of the finest quality. Burma, Chile, Pakistan, and Russia are also known to produce lighter blue-colored stones for a much cheaper price than Afghanistan.
The selling prices of these stones vary depending on color, craftsmanship, and overall quality.
Genuine collectors can identify this stone from an artificial imitation. It is believed that the stone has been imitated by ancient Egyptians centuries ago.
A Lapis Lazuli imitation was colored by copper sulfate. Glass, plastic, and sodalite are the other materials used on cheaper Lapis Lazuli imitations.
These stones are not only prominent in Afghanistan. In many countries in the Mediterranean and South Asia, Lapis Lazuli is one of the most popular gems.
They were used in weapons, glassware, and jewelry for many members of the ruling empires throughout the Middle East.
The crystals naturally beauty and rarity made it popular amongst high ranking members of these societies.
Jewelry use and Lapis Lazuli
This lovely stone is primarily used in the making of handcrafted jewelry and you will find earrings, bracelets, pendants, rings, and necklaces that contain this beautiful blue semi-precious stone.
It is one of the medium-priced semi-precious stones and you will see where jewelry designers have set it into the precious metal gold and are also usually set in sterling silver.
This stone looks great on its own but also when it is mixed with other complimenting semi-precious beads and pendants.
Lapis Lazuli Stone is also excessively used on men’s jewelry.
These stones are great as beads, cabochons, inlays, and tablets because of their prominent blue color.
These stones are also sold as cabochons, signet stones, carvings, or as a part of a necklace.
Along with jewelry, the stone is regularly carved into bowls, board games, combs, dagger handles, amulets, and such items for collectors.
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Maatie Kalokoh is a writer who covers astrology, spirituality, love, and relationship topics.