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lapis lazuli - stone of rulers

lapis lazuli

lapis & citrine necklace

compositionrock composed primarily of lazurite, calcite and pyrite
name sourcefrom the Latin lapis, meaning "a stone," and the Arabic azul meaning "blue" (from which the word azure comes) -- literally "blue stone"
other accepted nameslapis
historical aliasessapphirus (antiquity), safir, "lazurine stone," lazuric, Armenia or Bukharia stone (Russia), "stone of rulers"
folkloric aliases"the stop stone," "stone of total awareness," "stone of teachers"
color intense blue with minor patches of calcite and brassy yellow pyrite
color sourcesulfur
significant sourcesAfghanistan (Kokcha) and Chile (Cordillera)
MOH scale5 - 5.5
care and treatmentWash in warm soapy water or clean in ultra sonic jewelry cleaner. (Be careful not to leave in ultra sonic too long as dyed product may lighten.) Take care not to knock about as stone is relatively soft.