Lazurite

specimen number:
2262212

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

description:
A sharp blue crystal of lazurite 1.0 cm in size on a white marble matrix. In good condition. Typical of these minor pyrite is present.

The Sar-e-Sang mining district, situated in the remote Kokcha River Valley of Badakhshan Province, Afghanistan, is the world's premier and oldest source of the feldspathoid mineral lazurite, the primary deep-blue constituent of the rock lapis lazuli. Geologically, this ancient deposit is hosted within the Archean-age Sakhi Formation, where thick lenses and layers of calcitic and dolomitic marbles underwent intense regional metamorphism and subsequent metasomatism driven by granitic intrusions roughly 200 million years ago. This specialized chemical environment allowed lazurite to crystallize in dense, vibrant blue masses and rare, sharp dodecahedral crystals alongside contrasting white calcite and golden flecks of brassy pyrite. Historically, Sar-e-Sang represents what is likely the longest continuously operated mining site on Earth, with archaeological evidence showing extraction began during the Neolithic period as early as the 7th millennium BC. The site supplied the precious blue material used in the iconic funeral mask of Pharaoh Tutankhamun and the treasures of ancient Sumerian royal tombs. Over the millennia, extraction evolved from ancient fire-setting techniques to formal underground tunneling, with operations shifting through nationalized government control during the late 20th century to localized artisanal mining and private export partnerships through 2026.

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