Quartz: common chameleon

Lapis lazuli is a gemstone of the kind that might have come straight out of the Arabian Nights: a deep blue with golden inclusions of pyrites which shimmer like little stars. This opaque, deep blue gemstone has a grand past. It was among the first gemstones to be worn as jewelry and worked on. There, the color was referred to as 'ultramarine', which means something like 'from beyond the sea'. The euphonious name is composed from 'lapis', the Latin word for stone, and 'azula', which comes from the Arabic and means blue The blue color comes from the sulphur content of the lazurite and may range from pure ultramarine to a lighter blue.

Lapis lazuli is regarded by many people around the world as the stone of friendship and truth. Lapis lazuli is a versatile and popular gemstone which has shown extraordinary stability in the turbulent tides of fashion. No wonder, since it has fascinated both men and women for thousands of years with its fabulous color and those golden points of light formed by pyrites.

Birthstone
Lapis Lazuli is listed as the traditional birthstone for December.

History
Lapis Lazuli, is the blue rock loved by the ancients, from Mesopotamia, to Egypt, to Persia, to Greece and Rome. The ancient city of Ur has a thriving trade in lapis as early as the fourth millennium B.C. When lapis was first introduced to Europe, it was called ultramarinum, which means beyond the sea.

Ground lapis was the secret of the blue in ultramarine, the pigment which painters used to paint the sea and the sky until the nineteenth century. Lapis was also popular in inlays.

In the Middle Ages, it was thought to keep the limbs healthy and free the soul from error, envy and fear. Lapis is a dark blue microcrystalline rock composed primarily of the mineral lazurite. It often sparkles with golden pyrite inclusions. Lapis lazuli is somewhat porous and should be protected from chemicals and solvents. Warm soapy water is the best way to clean it. Lapis is not very hard at 5.5 and should be protected from other jewelry when stored to avoid scratches. The Romans believed that lapis was a powerful aphrodisiac.

Color
Lapis lazuli is a gemstone of the kind that might have come straight out of the Arabian Nights: a deep blue with golden inclusions of pyrites which shimmer like little stars. This opaque, deep blue gemstone has a grand past.

Healing properties: