Lazurite

specimen number:
2072035

location:
Sar-e-Sang, Kuran wa Munjan, Badakhshan, Afghanistan

description:
A thick blue mass of lazurite, the variety often referred to as lapis lazuli.

Lapis lazuli from Afghanistan, composed primarily of the mineral lazurite, is one of the oldest known gemstones and has been prized for thousands of years. The principal source is the Sar e Sang deposits in Badakhshan, where mining dates back more than 6000 years. The material occurs in metamorphosed limestone where lazurite formed under high temperature and pressure conditions, often associated with calcite and pyrite. Lapis lazuli was highly valued in ancient civilizations such as Egypt and Mesopotamia, where it was used for jewelry, carvings, and as a source of the pigment ultramarine. Trade routes carried Afghan lapis across Asia and into Europe, making it an important commodity in early commerce. Its deep blue color, often flecked with golden pyrite, has made it one of the most recognizable and historically significant ornamental stones.

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