lapis

Lapis, commonly known as lapis lazuli, is a deep-blue metamorphic rock used as a gemstone and as a pigment. The name comes from Latin and Persian roots meaning “stone” and “blue.” It has been prized for its intense blue color since ancient times and is valued for both ornamental and artistic applications.

The rock is not a pure mineral but a complex of minerals in a limestone matrix, dominated by the mineral lazurite, with calcite and pyrite commonly present. The characteristic blue color arises from sulfide-derived chromophores within lazurite. Surface white veins of calcite and gathers of gold-colored pyrite are frequent features in lapis lazuli.

Historically, lapis lazuli was mined in the Badakhshan region of Afghanistan for thousands of years and played a significant role in Mesopotamian, Egyptian, and later European art. In medieval and Renaissance Europe, ground lapis lazuli was processed into ultramarine pigment, one of the most expensive pigments used by painters. The discovery of synthetic ultramarine in the 19th century reduced demand for natural lapis lazuli in painting, though the stone remains valued as a gem and for inlay work.

Today, lapis lazuli is still mined and traded as a semiprecious gemstone for jewelry and carvings. Major contemporary sources include Afghanistan and Chile, with smaller deposits reported in other regions. Its distinctive blue remains a hallmark in decorative arts, jewelry, and historic pigments.