Lapis Lazuli Mining

Description:-

Lapis Lazuli is the most admired gem in the history of mankind. The colour of the gem is celestial blue which denotes the qualities of wisdom, truthfulness, power, honour, royalty etc. It is one of the most precious jewels sought after by many due to its attractive colour. In Egypt this precious gem is considered as the most valuable possession. It is also referred to as sapphire. This stone is referred in The Holy Bible also and one of the stone embedded in the breast plate of the High priest in Jerusalem is this holy stone. The value given to this stone by the ancient people is one of the reasons to consider it as holy. The positive vibration in the stone enhances all the good qualities within us and so it deserves to be known as the Stone of Truth.

Lapis lazuli is mostly found in the mountains of Afghanistan, Chile, Soviet Union and the United states. The Egyptian kings and queens considered it to be very precious and the people of Egypt considered this gem not only as precious but also spiritual. They believed that wearing a garment coloured with Lapis would raise them to the power of God and also bring about a total transformation in their lives.

Similarly in different parts of the world this excellent stone symbolized starry nites, a stone to safeguard them from evil eyes and also used as an ornament to showcase their beauty. It is considered as a gem which gives all positive vibration to mankind and believed to give wisdom, find solutions to any problems in the professional field and personal life. This powerful crystal has the power to activate all positive qualities in human beings. It is believed that the power of adorning ourselves with this jewel will always create a harmony in our lives and make the possessor a man embedded with all positive qualities. There is another belief in Egypt that when a person is dead this gem is buried along with it to give it protection to the dead body.

This most sought after gem is believed to have been used decades and the popularity of this gem is seen even today, that everyone longs to be a proud possessor of it. Pyrite crystals are embedded in most of these gems that makes it more beautiful and more sparkling. Another most important nature of this gem stone is the sensitivity. It is soft when compared to the other gems so we need to take care to protect and safeguard it from getting scratched. As it is not a transparent stone it can be carved and made into beads. These beads are embedded in bracelets, chains, dollars etc.

The colour of this precious stone is natural and artificial dyeing is often not done. In rare cases it is noticed that if the original stone is lighter, then it is made into deep blue by the process of dyeing. The most extraordinary blue crystal solid stone is usually highly prized than most of the other metals. This stone is in high in demand as it is believed to strengthen your psychic abilities. Gem stones similar to Lapis Lazuli are Azurite and Sodalite.

Physical Properties :-

Name

Lapis Lazuli

Is a Variety of

Lazurite

Heat Sensitivity

No

Special Care Instructions

Avoid contact with chemicals.

Formula

(Na, Ca)8(Al, Si)12O24(S, SO4)

Etymology

From the Persian lazhward for blue stone.

Occurrence

Contact metamorphic mineral in limestone, formed by recrystallization of impurities; also in granites.

Inclusions

Pyrite (brassy yellow) and white calcite in massive material.

Colors 

Deep blue, azure blue, violet-blue, greenish blue.

Fracture 

Uneven

Hardness 

5-6 (depending on impurity content)

Cleavage 

Imperfect; none in massive material.

Wearability 

Good

Crystallography 

Isometric;  Crystals very rare, dodecahedral, up to about 2 inches in size. Also massive, compact, disseminated, in veins.

Refractive Index 

1.50-1.55

Birefringence 

None

Luminescence 

Orange spots or streaks in LW (Afghanistan and Chile), dimmer and more pink in SW. X-rays cause yellowish glow in streaks. May fluoresce whitish in SW,

Luminescence Present

Yes

Luminescence Type

Fluorescent, UV-Long, UV-Short, X-ray Colors

Pleochroism 

None.

Optics 

Isotropic. N around 1.50.

Luster 

Dull

Specific Gravity 

Pure: 2.38-2.45. gem lapis: 2.7-2.9 or higher if much pyrite present.

Enhancements

Dyeing (common), heat treatment, fracture filling, wax and oil impregnation.

Typical Treatments

Dyeing, Fracture/Cavity Filling, Heat Treatment, Infusion/Impregnation, Oiling

Transparency 

Opaque


Natural Occurrence :

Afghanistan, Chile, Soviet Union and the United states.

Available Colors :

Blue

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