Lapis Lazuli Properties, Meaning and Characteristics

Lapis lazuli is one of the oldest gemstones in human history, prized for a blue so intense that it has been compared to the night sky for thousands of years. It is also the stone at the heart of everything we make. In this guide we look at lapis lazuli properties from every angle: what the stone is made of, how to recognize good quality, its remarkable history and the beliefs handed down for centuries by the ancestral peoples of the Andes, in lands that are now Chile, Peru and Bolivia.

Lapis Lazuli at a Glance

What Is Lapis Lazuli Made Of?

Unlike most gemstones, lapis lazuli is not a single mineral but a rock: a natural mixture of several minerals. Its blue comes from lazurite, while white streaks are usually calcite and the tiny golden sparkles are pyrite. Small amounts of other minerals may also be present.

The proportions of these minerals vary from stone to stone, which is why no two pieces of lapis look exactly the same. The most valued material is a deep, even blue with a high lazurite content, sometimes with a fine scattering of pyrite. Stones with more calcite appear lighter or more mottled, and many people love them for their natural character. To understand how stones are graded, read our article on lapis lazuli grades A and AAA.

Where the Name Comes From

The name combines the Latin word lapis, meaning stone, with lazuli, a medieval Latin form derived from Persian and Arabic words for the color blue and for the region where the stone was mined. Put simply, lapis lazuli means “stone of blue”. The same root gave us the word azure, and related words for blue in several European languages.

Where Lapis Lazuli Is Found

The most famous deposits lie in the Badakhshan region of northeastern Afghanistan, where lapis has been mined for more than six thousand years. Stone from these mountains reached ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley, travelling vast distances along early trade routes.

Chile is the other major source. Chilean lapis lazuli is mined high in the Andes and is known for its strong blue, often accompanied by distinctive white calcite. Most of the lapis we use comes from Chile’s lapis mine in the Andes, and we also work with Afghan lapis.

Lapis Lazuli in History

Lapis lazuli was among the most treasured materials of the ancient world. In Mesopotamia it was carved into seals, beads and inlays, and it appears in the royal tombs of Ur. In Egypt it was used for amulets, scarabs and jewelry, and it was inlaid into the famous funerary mask of Tutankhamun. Egyptians associated its blue with the heavens and with the divine.

Classical writers also admired the stone. Many historians believe that when ancient authors such as Pliny wrote about “sapphirus”, a blue stone flecked with gold, they were describing lapis lazuli rather than the gem we now call sapphire.

Lapis also changed the history of art. Ground into powder and carefully purified, it produced ultramarine, a pigment whose name means “beyond the sea”, a reference to the long journey the stone made to reach Europe. At times ultramarine was more costly than gold, and Renaissance painters often reserved it for the robes of the Virgin Mary. Only in the nineteenth century did a synthetic version make the color widely affordable. Natural lapis lazuli pigment is still made for artists today.

Lapis Lazuli Meaning and Traditional Beliefs

For centuries, the ancestral peoples of the Andes, in lands that are now Chile, Peru and Bolivia, have regarded lapis lazuli as a stone of the sky and of the earth. Lapis from the Chilean Andes is today the national stone of Chile, and the meanings below come from this long Andean tradition. They are beliefs handed down through generations, and we share them with respect for their cultural value:

• Truth and wisdom. In Andean tradition, the deep blue of lapis was believed to bring clarity, honesty and the wisdom of the elders.
• Protection. Lapis was traditionally believed to guard the person who carried it, a belief shared by many cultures far beyond the Andes, which is why the stone was also carved into protective symbols such as the Eye of Horus.
• Connection with Pachamama. As a stone born in the high mountains, lapis was regarded as a gift of Pachamama, Mother Earth, and a link to the ancestors.
• Balance and harmony. Its blue, like the sky above the Andes, was associated with calm, reflection and inner balance.

Whether or not you share these beliefs, they are a reminder of how deeply this stone has been woven into the culture of the Andes.

How to Care for Lapis Lazuli

With a hardness of about 5 to 5.5, lapis lazuli is softer than many gemstones and benefits from a little care:

• Wipe it with a soft, dry or slightly damp cloth.
• Avoid chemicals, perfumes, acids and liquid jewelry cleaners.
• Do not use ultrasonic or steam cleaners.
• Store pieces separately so harder stones and metal cannot scratch them.
• Remove your jewelry before swimming, exercising or household cleaning.

Our jewelry care guide has more detailed tips.

Lapis Lazuli in Our Jewelry

Since 1972 our family workshop in Santiago has worked with lapis lazuli every day. Our artisans cut and polish each stone by hand and set it in 950 sterling silver, 18K or 14K gold, or gold vermeil. Because we are the manufacturer, we choose every stone ourselves, and because each one is natural, every piece carries its own pattern of blue, white and gold. You will find the stone in our lapis lazuli necklaces, our lapis lazuli rings and our lapis lazuli earrings.

Lapis lazuli has delighted people for millennia and has been cherished for centuries by the ancestral peoples of the Andes, and it is a joy to keep that story going in our workshop. We invite you to explore our lapis lazuli special collections and find a piece of this ancient blue to call your own.