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LAPIS LAZULI FREEFORM
Afghanistan
9.0cm x 7.0cm x 2.3cm (3.5in x 2.7in x 0.9in)
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Few minerals carry the weight of history that Lapis Lazuli does. For over six thousand years it has been extracted from a single mountain range in northeastern Afghanistan, namely the Sar-e-Sang deposits of Badakhshan province, and distributed across the ancient world as one of its most coveted commodities. It travelled the trade routes of the Bronze Age into Egypt, Mesopotamia, and the Indus Valley civilisations, ground to powder it became Ultramarine, the most expensive pigment in the medieval painter's palette, reserved by contract for the robes of the Virgin. The blue of Renaissance altarpieces is, in the most literal sense, this stone.
The colour is produced primarily by Lazurite, a complex Sulphur-bearing Silicate of the Sodalite group, whose intense violet-blue is unlike any other mineral blue in nature. The white inclusions running through the matrix are Calcite. The gold is Pyrite, present as disseminated crystals and occasional dense clusters, the metallic glint against the blue responsible for Lapis Lazuli's long association with the night sky.
Quality is determined by the ratio of lazurite to matrix material, by the intensity and uniformity of the blue, and by the distribution and scale of the pyrite. The finest material is a deep, even violet-blue with minimal Calcite veining and a dusting of Pyrite throughout.
Afghanistan remains, as it has always been, the definitive source. No other locality produces material of comparable colour depth or historical resonance. What is extracted now comes from the same mountains, the same narrow valleys, that supplied the ancient world.
This beautiful deep blue stone serves as a thoughtful companion for self-discovery, helping one to recognize and understand their natural gifts and abilities.
Lapis Lazuli is regarded as one of the most effective stones for developing psychic abilities, gently enhancing intuitive perception and supporting access to spiritual guidance.
It helps one to connect to one’s inner wisdom, enabling a deeper connection to a higher understanding and consciousness. It assists those seeking to expand their spiritual awareness with quiet confidence, guiding one toward a deeper self-knowledge and clarity.
description
Few minerals carry the weight of history that Lapis Lazuli does. For over six thousand years it has been extracted from a single mountain range in northeastern Afghanistan, namely the Sar-e-Sang deposits of Badakhshan province, and distributed across the ancient world as one of its most coveted commodities. It travelled the trade routes of the Bronze Age into Egypt, Mesopotamia, and the Indus Valley civilisations, ground to powder it became Ultramarine, the most expensive pigment in the medieval painter's palette, reserved by contract for the robes of the Virgin. The blue of Renaissance altarpieces is, in the most literal sense, this stone.
The colour is produced primarily by Lazurite, a complex Sulphur-bearing Silicate of the Sodalite group, whose intense violet-blue is unlike any other mineral blue in nature. The white inclusions running through the matrix are Calcite. The gold is Pyrite, present as disseminated crystals and occasional dense clusters, the metallic glint against the blue responsible for Lapis Lazuli's long association with the night sky.
Quality is determined by the ratio of lazurite to matrix material, by the intensity and uniformity of the blue, and by the distribution and scale of the pyrite. The finest material is a deep, even violet-blue with minimal Calcite veining and a dusting of Pyrite throughout.
Afghanistan remains, as it has always been, the definitive source. No other locality produces material of comparable colour depth or historical resonance. What is extracted now comes from the same mountains, the same narrow valleys, that supplied the ancient world.
Metaphysical properties
This beautiful deep blue stone serves as a thoughtful companion for self-discovery, helping one to recognize and understand their natural gifts and abilities.
Lapis Lazuli is regarded as one of the most effective stones for developing psychic abilities, gently enhancing intuitive perception and supporting access to spiritual guidance.
It helps one to connect to one’s inner wisdom, enabling a deeper connection to a higher understanding and consciousness. It assists those seeking to expand their spiritual awareness with quiet confidence, guiding one toward a deeper self-knowledge and clarity.