Lapis Lazuli Stones

Lapis lazuli or Lapis for short is a deep-blue metamorphic rock used as a semi-precious stone. Lapis lazuli is most known for its use as a gemstone, it is also used for making small sculptures. The blue color of lapis lazuli is mainly derived from the presence of lazurite, a blue silicate mineral of the sodalite. Its blue color remains the symbol of honor and royalty, spirit and vision, gods and power, It is a universal symbol of wisdom and truth.

Lapis lazuli stimulates the desire for knowledge, truth, and understanding, and aids the process of learning. It is excellent for enhancing memory, encourages honesty of the spirit It is also a stone of friendship and brings harmony in relationships.

As early as the 7th millennium BCE, lapis lazuli was mined in the Sar-i Sang mines, in Shortugai, and in other mines in Badakhshan province in northeast Afghanistan. The world's leading source of lapis lazuli is Afghanistan, other countries are Chile, Russia, Canada, Argentina, and Pakistan. In the United States, small amounts of lapis lazuli have been produced in California, Colorado, and Arizona.