Lapis lazuli

Lapis lazuli is a metamorphic rock composed mainly of lazurite (a sulfur-containing feldspathoid) with calcite and pyrite. Its characteristic color ranges from azure blue to intense ultramarine blue, due to the presence of lazurite, while the golden pyrite inclusions give it its starry appearance.

Mined for over 6,000 years, notably in the famous deposits of Badakhshan in Afghanistan, lapis lazuli has been used as an ornamental stone and as a precious pigment (ultramarine blue) in art and painting. Each specimen is unique in its shades of blue and natural patterns.