LAPIS LAZULI
Wedding Anniversary: ninth
Lapis Lazuli is a dark blue microcrystalline rock composed primarily of the mineral Lazurite. The name Lapis Lazuli combines the word lapis, Latin for stone, and Azul. Arabic for blue. This blue rock was loved by the ancient people from Mesopotamia, to Egypt, to Persia, to Greece and Rome. The best quality lapis features a natural deep violet blue colour with little sparks of pyrite within. The stone is valued when it is free of a characteristic white calcite veining which is often otherwise observed, and is amenable to a high polish. Lapis, being a porous stone, should be protected from harsh chemicals and solvents and since its hardness is only 5.5 on Moh’s scale of hardness, it should be protected from other jewelery to avoid scratches.
The Romans believed that Lapis was a powerful aphrodisiac. In the middle Ages, it was thought to protect the limbs and free the soul from error, envy and fear.
Lapis is mined mainly in Afghanistan, but smaller quantities are mined in Chile, Siberia , Colorado and Myanmar.