The Story of Lapis Lazuli

Lapis Lazuli lapis as it is sometimes known for short, is a popular semi-precious gemstone used to make sterling pendants and other pieces of fashion jewelry. Artifacts found during archaeological excavations in present day Iraq and Egypt suggest that this material was used in jewelry making for at least five thousand years. From a geological standpoint, lapis is a rock made up of a variety of different minerals. These minerals include hauynite, lazurite, sodalite, calcite and pyrites. The characteristic blue color of the stone is due to lazurite and sodalite. The sparkling specs are pyrites. Calcite is usually seen in the form of blotches and streaks. Lapis may also contain some amounts of other secondary minerals such as noselite, diopside, augite, mica and hornblende. Lapis typically occurs as a metamorphosed amorphous mass, usually found in conjunction with limestone deposits.