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Lapis Lazuli, the blue rock loved by the
ancients, from Mesopotamia, to Egypt, to
Persia, to Greece and Rome. The ancient city
of Ur has a thriving trade in lapis as early as
the fourth millennium B.C.
The name is international, from the latin, lapis, which
means stone, and from the Arabic, azul, which means
blue.
When lapis was first introduced to Europe, it was called
ultramarinum, which means beyond the sea. Ground
lapis was the secret of the blue in ultramarine, the
pigment which painters used to paint the sea and the
sky until the nineteenth century. Lapis was also popular
in inlays. The Romans believed that lapis was a powerful
aphrodisiac. In the Middle Ages, it was thought to keep
the limbs healthy and free the soul from error, envy
and fear.
Lapis is a dark blue microcrystalline rock composed
primarily of the mineral lazurite. It often sparkles with
golden pyrite inclusions.
Lapis lazuli is still mined at the deposits of the ancient
world in Afghanistan. Lapis is also mined in Chile.
Small quantities are also produced in Siberia, in
Colorado in the United States, and in Myanmar.
Lapis lazuli is somewhat porous and should be protected
from chemicals and solvents. Warm soapy water is the
best way to clean it. Lapis is not very hard at 5.5 and
should be protected from other jewelry when stored to
avoid scratches.
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