Lapis Lazuli
What is the Lapis Lazuli?
Lapis Lazuli is a precious stone with an intense blue color with pyrite inclusions, a mineral with a similar appearance to gold.
Those who appreciate the jewels and the blue color cannot fail to refer to this gemstone. The best deposits of Lapis Lazuli are found in Afghanistan, also mentioned by Marco Polo in his book "La Via della Seta".
The ancient Egyptian dynasties called this gem the "Stone of Heaven" because they constantly used it in their sacred art.
Torrini uses cabochon cut or polished Lapis Lazuli for its jewelry.
Lapis Lazuli Mineral
Lapis Lazuli is a rock that aggregates various minerals such as Lazurite, Calcite, and Pyrite.
The percentage of these three minerals influences the stone's quality:
Lazurite is a blue mineral.
Calcite is a whitish mineral at the same time.
Pyrite is a mineral similar to the gold color; it was called "the gold of fools" in the past.
The Blue base of the Lapis Lazuli is debased if the calcite inclusions with a whitish color are very evident. On the contrary, it is considerably embellished if the Pyrite inclusions form streaks and golden splinters.
What is the Lapis Lazuli?
Lapis Lazuli is a precious stone with an intense blue color with pyrite inclusions, a mineral with a similar appearance to gold.
Those who appreciate the jewels and the blue color cannot fail to refer to this gemstone. The best deposits of Lapis Lazuli are found in Afghanistan, also mentioned by Marco Polo in his book "La Via della Seta".
The ancient Egyptian dynasties called this gem the "Stone of Heaven" because they constantly used it in their sacred art.
Torrini uses cabochon cut or polished Lapis Lazuli for its jewelry.
Lapis Lazuli Quality Factor
Discover the quality factor of the Lapis Lazuli
The beauty of Lapis Lauzli depends on the quality of the raw mineral highlighted by the master cutter.
We can summarize in 3 points a good quality Lapis Lazuli:
The best Lapis Lazuli has a deep blue color.
Lapis lazuli of excellent quality has no calcite inside, while on the contrary, it is greatly embellished if the inclusions of Pyrite from golden streaks.
The cutter must have a great artistic sensibility to enhance the typical inclusions of lapis lazuli.
The Brief History of Lapis Lazuli
The ancient Egyptians and the ancient Romans and Greeks attributed divine strength to the Lapis Lazuli.
The finest quality of this gemstone has its origins in northern Afghanistan, in the remote Badakhshan District, where ancient mines of this gem exist for thousands of years. More than 6,000 statuettes and other objects were found masterfully executed in Lapis Lazuli in the ancient Sumerian city of Ur.
In the 13th century, Marco Polo visited the mines of that area, writing: "There is a mountain in that region, where the most beautiful Lapis Lazuli in the world is found".
Lapis Lazuli was held in high regard by Alchemists and Artists. This hardstone was used as a pigment, famous for the use of Leonardo da Vinci in his masterpiece of the Last Supper.
Why we love Lapis Lazuli
Lapis Lazuli Jewels
Lapis lazuli is one of the most popular semi-precious stones combined with the warm color of yellow gold. “Perhaps the most aesthetically complete Jewel, a piece of sky that is always starry”, so said Pliny the Elder.
This gem is one of the semi-precious stones that make up the artistic figurations of the Florentine mosaic called "Commesso Fiorentino".
Lapis Lazuli represents an essential base in the color table, as evidenced by the jewels produced by Giocondo Torrini between 1850 and 1890.
According to crystal therapy, Lapis Lazuli has the property of protecting the wearer from imbalances in human relationships.
