( 6 MM IS APPROX 1/4 INCH )

  CODE : P 249

 
Royal blue lapis lazuli, the gem variety of lazurite and one of the most beautiful opaque gemstones, is a sodium and aluminum mineral of considerable complexity. Known as “sapphires” by the ancients, the stone occurs in only a few major deposits around the world, notably Lake Baikal in Siberia, Ocalle  

  The ancient royal Sumerian tombs of Ur, located near the Euphrates River in lower Iraq, contained more than 6000 beautifully executed lapis lazuli statuettes of birds, deer, and rodents as well as dishes, beads, and cylinder seals. These carved artifacts undoubtedly came from material mined in northern Afghanistan. Later Egyptian burial sites dating before 3000 B.C. contained thousands of jewelry items, many of lapis. Powdered lapis was favored by Egyptian ladies as a cosmetic eye shadow and in later years it was used as a pigment for ultramarine paints. Pliny the Elder described the stone as “a fragment of the starry firmament.” The most prized lapis is a dark, nearly blackish blue, much deeper than turquoise and more intense than sodalite or azurite. Lazurite occurs most frequently in lighter shades commonly mixed with streaks of calcite. Although attractive, this material is less desirable and consequently fetches a lower price. Pyrite, a commonly associated mineral, is often liberally sprinkled throughout lapis specimens, to create a striking combination of rich blue and brassy gold.