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The Lapis Lazuli is a deep blue color gemstone consisting of inclusions of pyrites in golden color. It derived its name from the Latin word “Lapis” meaning stone and “azula” from an Arabic word signifying blue. The beautiful Lapis Lazuli gemstone is a versatile stone which has attracted people from ancient times. The fascinating blue color of this stone is rare among other famous gemstones of the world.
This precious stone is abundantly found in the Hindu-Kush Mountains situated in the north-east regions of Afghanistan. Large amount of Lapis Lazuli is also found in Russia. Few deposits are also found in the countries like Italy, Mongolia, the USA and Canada, Myanmar and Pakistan. The good quality of this stone is very rare.
This gemstone is a dense rock that comprises of diopside and lazurite. This is stone belonging to the family of less hard stones. The hardness of Lapis Lazuli ranges in between five to six on the Mohs scale. In the rough state, it appears as a dark blue color stone with inclusions of pyrites which give a glittering effect to the jewel. The blue color of Lapis Lazuli is due to the deposition of sulphur in the lazurite ranging from ultra marine to fade blue.
Synthetic resin and Wax are used to seal this precious stone. This sealing process enhances the qualities of the stone until it is mixed with any coloring agent. Too much of exposure to sunlight and contact with acidic substances is very harmful for the gemstone.
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