Whitby Jet & Lapis Lazuli

Lapis Lazuli is the name given to the compact form of the mineral lazurite when occurring with other minerals and therefore is not technically a mineral but a rock. Under the microscope the component minerals of lapis lazuli are seen to be a mixture of banded white dolomite, light coloured pyroxenes and amphiboles, minerals of the sodalite type, lazurite and grains of pyrite better known as “fools’ gold”. It forms in rocks which have undergone compact metamorphism due to the exposure of heat from an igneous body. “Lapis” in Latin means stone and the name Lapis Lazuli is thought to be derived from the ancient Arabic word “lazaward”. It has been mined since ancient times in the Budakshan Region of Afghanistan and is also found in Chile and Italy. Lapis has certainly been in vogue as an ornamental stone since 3000Bc in Egypt where it was valued for its rich yet quiet shade of blue.

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