Lapis lazuli jewelry carries 6,000 years of history. This intense royal blue, flecked with golden pyrite sparkles that shine like stars in a night sky, has fascinated all great civilizations. The Sumerians considered it the flesh of the gods, the Egyptians adorned sarcophagi and Tutankhamun's funeral mask with it, and Renaissance painters ground it to obtain the most precious pigment of all: ultramarine, more expensive than gold at the time. Vermeer, Michelangelo, Raphael: the most famous blues in art history are painted with lapis lazuli. It is a rock composed mainly of lazurite, with calcite (white veins) and pyrite (golden flecks), and the finest specimens come from the Sar-e-Sang mines in Afghanistan, continuously exploited for over 6,000 years.
In lithotherapy, lapis lazuli is the stone of wisdom, truth, and inner royalty. It works on the throat chakra and the third eye chakra, promoting sincere and profound expression, nourished by intuition and reflection. It is not a stone for idle chatter: lapis lazuli helps one to speak accurately, to say what truly matters, and to stand by one's convictions. It is the stone of leaders, teachers, thinkers, and all who seek to embody their truth without compromise. It is also recommended to stimulate the intellect, deepen meditation, and develop a clear vision for one's life.
Lapis lazuli naturally pairs with amethyst (spiritual depth), sodalite (mental clarity), or clear quartz (amplification). For care, lapis lazuli tolerates neither salt, acids, nor chemicals. Clean it with clear water and recharge it in moonlight. With a hardness of 5 to 6 on the Mohs scale, it requires some attention to prevent shocks and scratches.