Treasure Hunting

The brilliant blue color of lapis lazuli has made it a prized stone since ancient times.  It is made up of multiple minerals, but the main component is lazurite.  Lapis lazuli can also contain sodalite, calcite, and pyrite in larger quantites.  Stones found in Chili are more likely to have more visible quantities of calcite - this accounts for the “whiteness” in the rock.  Afghan specimens are well-known for their inclusion of pyrite.

Lapis lazuli has often been associated with mystery and the unknown.  Many consider it to be a key used to open the door to gain access to esoteric planetary knowledge.  This stone has also been called the “stone of total awareness” in that it helps expand awareness and allows for conscious attunement to the intuitive part of the mind.

In ancient times, lapis lazuli was considered a protective stone and it was worn to guard against physical danger and psychic attacks.  Ancient Egyptians believe the stone to be one of great power and often set it in amulets and ornaments.

It has a hardness of 5-5.5 on the Mohrs scale and takes a polish nicely.  The phrase lapis lazuli literally means “stone of azure” and has been passed down through many languages.  Afghanistan and Chili are the main locales in which this stone can be found, but deposits have also been discovered in Russia, Canada, the United States, and India among other places.