General information about lapis jewelry

Lapis Lazuli is a special gemstone type, which has a widespread reputation for its blue, rich and beautiful color as well as its white ribbons and tiny golden pyrite stars. It is amongst the most ancient gemstones that are semi-precious that are usually added as a gemstone to handmade jewelry. The design of the jewelry in which the Lapis Lazuli is featured could determine if it can be used alongside a formal wear or casual wear. Lapis Lazuli can also be used on jewelries alongside other gemstones like onyx, turquoise or hematite.

Shopping guide

When the Lapis color is evenly distributed and rich, they can be quite expensive, as they will be of very high quality. You should look out for pyrites in the Lapis to avoid an artificially colored one that are sold by some jewelers. The lower the calcite and the more the pyrite veins, the more the value of the Lapis will be. There are different shapes of Lapis stones that can be gotten in bracelets, earrings, necklaces and rings.

Care and Treatment

Lapis lazuli is a stone that is very soft and measures between 5.0 and 5.5 on a Mohs scale. It is, therefore, vital that you treat it carefully. Use a damp cloth to clean the protective coating and stone so that you do not damage it. Do not clean your house with Lapis jewelry left inside as it could be damaged by the cleaning chemical. Exposing the jewelry to direct sunlight could also lead to color loss.

Origin and meaning

Lapis implies stone in Latin while asula implies blue in Arabic. There is a legend in Persia where it is believed that the color of the heavens is as a result of a big Lapis slab upon which the earth is resting. From this influence by Persia, it is known as the blue stone or Stone of Asward. The stone has been discovered in ruins of ancient Roman civilizations, Grecian, Egyptian, Babylonian and Persian. The stone was first discovered in Afghanistan, which houses the best quality of the stone. The stone can also be seen in India, Canada, USA, Pakistan, Burma, Anglolia, Ovalle, Chile, Siberia and Russia.