Lapis lazuli - lazurite

Lapis lazuli also known as lazurite is a beautiful mineral which has deep blue color.





It is a mineral from the group of silicates. Its name derives from a Persian word that means "blue". It appears in the neighbourhood of Igneous rocks and carbonate rocks so it is present in the USA, Chile, Italy and Burma. Lazurite is often sought for as it is a precious jewelry mineral, however, it is very diffcult to cut. Dark blue lazurite is the most valuable, it doesn't have any white marks, only pyrite parts. Such stones can only be found in Pakistan or Afganistan. According to legends, lapis lazuli has plenty of healing properties. It slows down the balding processes, lowers the blood pressure and heals thyroid glands. It used to symbolize sky, these days, this color is a symbol of Saint Mary. It does not only derive from ancient beliefs but also from the value of blue color used to have. Back then, blue color used to be as valuable as gold and that is why it was used for painting pictures with Saint Mary - to pay tribute to her. As a consequence, it is a color associated with Saint Mary.