Collection: LAPIS

This ancient rock is an aggregate of several minerals. The three major minerals that comprise Lapis are lazurite, calcite, and pyrite. The rock can also contain lesser amounts of diopside, amphibole, feldspar, or mica.

Lazurite is the ingredient responsible for producing the gem’s most prized colour—bright royal blue.

Lapis is semi translucent to opaque, with a waxy to vitreous lustre. It has fair toughness, and its hardness ranges from 5 to 6 on the Mohs scale, depending on the mix of minerals.

Variously described as indigo, royal, midnight, or marine blue, lapis lazuli’s signature hue is slightly greenish blue to violetish blue, medium to dark in tone, and highly saturated.

In its most-prized form, lapis lazuli has no visible calcite, although it might have gold-coloured pyrite flecks. If the flecks are small and sprinkled attractively throughout the gem, their presence doesn’t necessarily lower lapis lazuli’s value.

Worldwide, Lapis is mined in several areas. The traditional source of the finest lapis lazuli is the same today as it was thousands of years ago... The mountains of Afghanistan. Other major sources are Chile and Lake Baikal in Siberia, Russia. Minor sources are Angola, Canada, Colorado (US), and Pakistan.