Lapis Lazuli is the oldest the rocks that considered as a gemstone.  Its’ beautiful deep blue was prized by pharaohs in ancient Egypt and continues to be prized today.

Lapis Lazuli can be found in the Andes, and to some extent in Russia, Angola, Burma, Canada and in California and Colorado in the USA, but the most beautiful lapis lazuli comes from Afghanistan, where the mines which are worked today might well had been in operation to get the stones for the pharaohs.

The ancient Egyptians favored lapis lazuli for amulets and the Assyrians and Babylonians used it for seals.  Egyptian ladies used powdered lapis as eye shadow and the Romans thought it a powerful Aphrodisiac.  Lapis Lazuli also had been used for art. Renaissance paintings found the ‘Ultramarine’ tempera paint derived from Lapis Lazuli and it was very expensive.

Lapis lazuli also can be polished to make a beautiful jewelry, and can be carved into figurines, statuettes and vases.  Near the Euphrates River in the lower regions of Iraq, the ancient Sumerian tombs yielded thousands of carved artifacts of lapis lazuli, and in parts of Afghanistan, artisan craftsmen are still using this beautiful stone.

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