Lapis lazuli is a semi-precious gemstone which appears as though it might have come straight out of the ‘Arabian Nights’: ‘A deep blue background with golden insertions of pyrites which shimmer like little stars’. Lapis Lazuli is a semiprecious stone valued for its deep blue color, and one can often spot golden pyrite inclusions. Lapis Lazuli has a stretched history and has been considered precious by people around the planet for centuries. The Assyrians, Babylonians and the Egyptians originally used this ornamental gemstone. The Romans acknowledged Lapis to be an aphrodisiac gem. The Pharaohs of Egypt admired and used Lapis for making sculptures, jewelry and funerary death masks. It was considered a mystical stone with an excellent ability to attract anybody. Lapis are either cut as beads for necklaces and looks especially attractive when set with diamonds or pearls.
Lapis Lazuli Jewelry Handicrafts
Lapis Lazuli is found in variety shades of blue with some best qualities being spotted with white calcite and some with yellow pyrite. This beautiful gemstone is not a mineral but technically a rock colored by lazurite. Since Lapis is a rock of varying composition, it has variable physical properties. The best and finest Lapis is found in pure blue color with little or no flow of other elements.
Lapis lazuli’s are embellished with gold and other stones and is used to purify and cleanse the parts of the body. This gemstone is a soft blue stone which represents gentleness, sympathy and love. The Lapis lazuli birthstone is good for general wealth and happiness. Lapis are generally suggested to people who are born under the sun sign ‘Taurus’. A person wearing Lapis gems will be recognized by their powers of love and affection. They can effortlessly win over others through the power of love.
Lapis has a legend history and is one of the attractive gems from ancient times. Egyptian cultures had a faith that this Lapis offer protection and hence they made a practice of burying this stone with their dead in order to protect and guide them in the afterlife. Lapis was highly valued in most of the earliest cultures. Greek culture spoke of an ancient sapphire which was built-in with gold and this was unmistakably lapis lazuli. According to Persian legend, the heavens owed their dark blue color to a massive gigantic chunk of Lapis upon which the earth rested. This jewel was cherished by ancient Babylonian and Egyptian civilizations and often worn by royalty. Egyptians widely used these gemstones for cosmetics and painting stuff. They considered Lapis Lazuli as a symbol of Truth. This precious stone can be found in Chile, the Soviet Union, the United States, but most significantly from the mountains of Afghanistan.
