All our Lapis are never prior owned handmade and the highest quality grade.

The History and Importance of Lapis Lazuli

July 05, 2017

HISTORY AND IMPORTANCE OF LAPIS LAZULI

Magnificent - Grandeur - Splendid are just some of the words that have been associated with describing this beautiful stone known as Lapis Lazuli. Throughout history, the lapis stone has remained a symbol of elegance and royalty and holds the prestigious honour of being considered a gem for thousands of years.

For over 6000 years, the Sar e Sang mines located in the current day North Eastern Badakshan province of Afghanistan have remained and still are the only source for the highest quality of Lapis stone produced on planet earth.

There are other sources including Chile, Russia and Myanmar, however the quality of the stones found in these locations is no match in comparison to what is being extracted from the mines in Afghanistan.

In the world of today, you might have seen this stone being used as an artifact in museums, jewelry item in stores and different decor purposes. However, it’s still considered as valuable as it was considered thousands of years ago.

Since prehistoric times, the Lapis stone has been adored and admired for its magnificent being, beauty and the benefits it’s known to provide. Even though, not much evidence can be found of how this grandeur object was first discovered as useful by the human kind but the fact that it has been mentioned several times in The Old Testament is proof enough of the value and stature this special stone has held for generations.

If an in depth historical study is done to collect evidence of the importance Lapis Lazuli has held over the years, you’ll find that it has always been considered as a symbol of high stature and royalty.

    • Different Sources of Lapis around the world

    • RUSSIAN LAPIS Russian Lapis
    • CHILEAN LAPIS Chilean Lapis
    • AFGHAN LAPIS Afghan Lapis
SYMBOLIC IMPORTANCE OF LAPIS LAZULI

It’s symbolic importance can be translated from the fact that Lapis Lazuli has been adored by civilizations like the Mesopotamians, Egyptians and the Greeks.

The ancient civilizations considered Lapis as an out of the world symbol which brought a person closer to God, therefore they considered it their obligation to send the stone along with people of high value to the afterlife.

Among the many historical evidences that can be found, one very famous story includes the use of Lapis Lazuli to color the eyebrows of the mask used in the funeral of King TutanKhamun of Egypt.

Fun Fact

Another famous story that has been passed over for years is that there was a time when Lapis Lazuli was considered more expensive than gold.

More similar examples and mentions can be found throughout history of how precious Lapis Lazuli has been over the years.

RENAISSANCE AGE

Another notable important use of this ultramarine dye has been the painting of Virgin Mary clothing over the years.

In all essence, Lapis has been and still is considered as an object of natural beauty and grandeur - nothing can replace it. For many generations, it has held its grand stature and we hope it will continue to do so.

The Renaissance Age

From being considered a symbol of high class and value, this precious stone has held it’s significance even from an artistic point of view over the years.

Lapis Lazuli served as a producer of the ultramarine dye for many years until it was replaced by more modern inventions. However, throughout the Renaissance Age, Lapis Lazuli was considered an invaluable object for painting purposes.

The ultramarine dye was produced by grinding the Lapis stone which was then used for painting purposes.

Due to the high value of the Lapis stone, the dye produced from it was considered very expensive and therefore only paintings of high value figures and holy significance were painted from it.

One very important fact to note is that when pure ultramarine dye was used to paint, those paintings were known to never fade. And this very property led to renowned painters of that time sought to use the ultramarine dye produced from Lapis stone despite its costly and expensive value.

Among the many painters that were known to use ultramarine dye, one very famous artist that stood out among many was Michelangelo who used to dye his paintings with ultramarine.

KNOCK KNOCK !!

Welcome back, it was nice to take a trip down the historic path and trace the foundations of this magnificent Lapis stone and the value it has held over the years. We at Loco Lapis are crazy about this stone and believe others should also have a chance to embrace the beauty that is produced on planet earth.

Please do pay a visit to our store and take a look at our fine collection exotic jewelry and other decor items.





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Quality Guide
LOCO LAPIS LOGO

Lapis Lazuli Composition and Quality Grade

Lapis Lazuli is a semi precious stone that is formed with combination of different minerals naturally in form of crystalline marble. Main components of Lapis Lazuli are

  • Lazurite as main constituent forming original Blue color.

  • Pyrite as sprinkles giving patterns of golden color.

  • Calcite causing white color.


  • Royal blue Lapis sometimes with pyrite with no inclusions and no calcite

    Grade: AAA


  • Fine Quality Lapis Dark Blue color with pyrite and without calcite

    Grade: AA


  • Best Quality Lapis Dark Blue color with pyrite and some calcite

    Grade: A


  • Medium Quality Lapis Blue color with pyrite and some calcite outer and inner

    Grade: B


  • Low Quality Lapis Blue color with pyrite and a lot of calcite

    Grade: C

We sincerely hope that this guide is helpful and provides you with valuable information on the various quality grades Lapis Lazuli is being displayed on our store. All of the information that we’ve provided has been collected from various sources for your convenience. Feel free to find the best product for the best price. Happy Shopping, Good Luck..

Quality Guide
LOCO LAPIS LOGO

Lapis Lazuli Composition and Quality Grade

Lapis Lazuli is a semi precious stone that is formed with combination of different minerals naturally in form of crystalline marble. Main components of Lapis Lazuli are

  • Lazurite as main constituent forming original Blue color.

  • Pyrite as sprinkles giving patterns of golden color.

  • Calcite causing white color.


  • Royal blue Lapis sometimes with pyrite with no inclusions and no calcite

    Grade: AAA


  • Fine Quality Lapis Dark Blue color with pyrite and without calcite

    Grade: AA


  • Best Quality Lapis Dark Blue color with pyrite and some calcite

    Grade: A


  • Medium Quality Lapis Blue color with pyrite and some calcite outer and inner

    Grade: B


  • Low Quality Lapis Blue color with pyrite and a lot of calcite

    Grade: C

We sincerely hope that this guide is helpful and provides you with valuable information on the various quality grades Lapis Lazuli is being displayed on our store. All of the information that we’ve provided has been collected from various sources for your convenience. Feel free to find the best product for the best price. Happy Shopping, Good Luck..