Lapis Lazuli, Afghanistan's Gift

Lapis lazuli is a bluish stone, often striated with white and sometimes with pyrite. Technically it is considered a rock rather than a mineral, since it is a combination of several minerals. Composed primarily of lazulite, Lapis lazuli, often simply referred to as lapis, frequently contains calcite (providing the striations), pyrite (fool's gold), mica, horneblende and others.

Ideally, lapis lazuli has a strong blue color with tiny flecks of pyrite. Too much pyrite is considered a devaluing attribute. Likewise, too much calcite detracts from the color of the stone and also detracts from its value.  

Lapis lazuli is often dyed or heat treated to increase the blue color. One way to determine the quality of a piece of lapis is to examine the back of the stone.

You should see a white coloring or at least an increase in the white speckles of mica and calcite, as lapis that has been cut and cabbed frequently will have this as an indicator of authenticity.

Although sometimes faceted, lapis lazuli is generally set in jewelry as a cab or flat table cut stone. By its nature it has a somewhat greasy appearance, but with proper preparation this can be buffed out to reveal a glossy stone with depth and character.

Lapis lazuli has been mined for more than 6,000 years. Some of the finest quality lapis is mined in the West Hindu Kush mountains of Afghanistan. Deposits are now found in Russia, Chile, Colorado and California.

Lapis lazuli jewelry, while popular, is not the sought after gemstone it was in the Middle Ages. Nonetheless, as with any stone, individual specimens can be real eye-catchers and at least one piece of lapis lazuli jewelry should be a part of any jewelry collection.

Article by Mike McGinnis
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