Judging quality
Top grade is deep even blue with fine pyrite sparkle and minimal white calcite. Dyed jasper and reconstituted 'lapis' are widespread; a cotton swab with acetone will lift dye.
Rock (lazurite)
Lapis Lazuli
A rock rather than a single mineral: deep blue lazurite with white calcite and flecks of golden pyrite. The Sar-e-Sang mines of Badakhshan have supplied the world for over six thousand years.
Care
Porous and dye-sensitive. Clean with a barely damp cloth, never solvents or ultrasonic.
History & lore
Ground lapis produced ultramarine, the most expensive pigment in Renaissance Europe, reserved for the robes of the Virgin.
Cultural history, recorded as tradition rather than as medical or scientific claim.
Common questions about Lapis Lazuli
- What is Lapis Lazuli?
- A rock rather than a single mineral: deep blue lazurite with white calcite and flecks of golden pyrite. The Sar-e-Sang mines of Badakhshan have supplied the world for over six thousand years.
- How hard is Lapis Lazuli and what is it made of?
- Lapis Lazuli is a Rock (lazurite)-family mineral with the composition (Na,Ca)8(AlSiO4)6(S,SO4,Cl)2. It crystallizes in the isometric system and rates 5-5.5 on the Mohs hardness scale. It occurs in blue, gold.
- Where does Lapis Lazuli come from?
- Notable localities for Lapis Lazuli include Afghanistan (Sar-e-Sang), Chile, Russia.
- How do you tell good Lapis Lazuli from filler?
- Top grade is deep even blue with fine pyrite sparkle and minimal white calcite. Dyed jasper and reconstituted 'lapis' are widespread; a cotton swab with acetone will lift dye.
- How do you care for Lapis Lazuli?
- Porous and dye-sensitive. Clean with a barely damp cloth, never solvents or ultrasonic.
See it in person
Photographs only go so far
Both rooms are open six days a week, and there is always someone happy to pull pieces out of the case so you can compare them under the light.