Lapis Lazuli

Spiritual Power & Ability • Enlightenment • Wisdom • Creativity • Mental Clarity • Emotional Expression

Appearance

Can be azure blue, blue-purple, pale green, or red in color. It is opaque with a glassy to greasy luster and is recognizable by its characteristic golden specks.

Rarity

Relatively rare.

Spiritual Power & Ability • Enlightenment • Wisdom • Creativity • Mental Clarity • Emotional Expression

Energetic properties

Lapis lazuli is a deeply spiritual stone that enhances spiritual strength and abilities. It brings enlightenment, wisdom, inner peace, and serenity. The stone also promotes honesty and truth, helping you discover and accept your inner truth. Lapis lazuli stimulates creativity, objectivity, and mental clarity, and it has a positive effect on friendships and romantic relationships.

It supports self-expression and helps you voice your opinions and emotions. Physically, lapis lazuli is said to support the throat, larynx, thyroid, and vocal cords. It may also have a positive effect on migraines, sleep disorders, dizziness, and stress.

Suitable for children from around 6 years of age.

Formation

The formation of lapis lazuli is complex and involves the deposition of minerals from hydrothermal fluids, metamorphism of existing rocks, and magma intrusion. These processes occur over millions of years, during which minerals slowly crystallize and merge to form lapis lazuli. It is composed primarily of lazurite, along with calcite, pyrite, sodalite, and sometimes diopside.

The characteristic blue color comes from lazurite, the primary pigmenting mineral. Calcite contributes white streaks, while pyrite is responsible for the glittering golden specks that make lapis lazuli so distinctive.

Etymology

The name comes from the Latin 'lapis' meaning 'stone', and the Arabic 'lazaward', which refers to the color blue. Together, the terms highlight the signature blue hue of the stone.

Care

Lapis lazuli should not be exposed to water too frequently. It is a relatively soft stone that is prone to scratching, erosion, and chemical damage, especially when exposed to acidic or alkaline substances. It is best cleaned gently with a dry cloth and should not be soaked.

Cleansing and charging can also be done with sage, incense, or moonlight.

Origin

The most well-known source is Afghanistan, but lapis lazuli is also found in Chile, Russia, Myanmar (Burma), Italy and the United States.

Availability

Lapis lazuli is relatively rare. Its availability and value depend greatly on quality. Stones with a high lazurite content exhibit a deep blue color and are more valuable, while those with many white calcite streaks are typically considered lower in quality. A modest amount of pyrite is considered desirable due to its golden flecks.

Lapis lazuli varies in size, and rare specimens with internal inclusions or large crystal formations can be highly valuable. It is also widely used in carvings and sculptures due to its softer nature.