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Lapis Lazuli
"I will have harnessed for you a chariot of
Lapis Lazuli and gold, with wheels of gold and
horns of Amber".
Epic of Gilgamesh (2650 BC)
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Lapis Lazuli
was mentioned in the
2650 BC
Sumerian 'Epic of
Gilgamesh'
(pictured) |
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Dating back to 2650 BC, the 'Epic of Gilgamesh'
is a celebrated poem from Ancient Mesopotamia
(modern-day Iraq) and is one of the earliest
works of literary fiction. It is the story of
the adventures of the king who 'surpasses all
other kings', Gilgamesh and his 'wild man'
sidekick, Enkidu. Apart from being a cracking
yarn, Lapis Lazuli scores a mention in the poem,
illustrating its importance and value to the
people of the time.
More than any gemstone, one deposit has defined
Lapis Lazuli. In the rugged Kokcha Valley of
northern Afghanistan's remote Badakhshan
district lays the famous Sar-e-Sang deposit.
Producing continuously for over 7,000 years,
this deposit is home to some of the world's
oldest gemstone mines. Sure, there are other
Lapis Lazuli deposits, but Afghanistan by
reputation and experience remains the finest.
During antiquity, Afghani Lapis Lazuli was
exported along ancient trade routes to
Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, Rome, India, China
and even Japan. The medieval Persian geographer Estakhri visited the Afghani Lapis Lazuli mines
in the 10th century and when Marco
Polo visited them in the 13th
century, he wrote: "There is a mountain in
that region where the finest Lapis Lazuli in the
world is found".
Not used until the middle ages, the name 'Lapis
Lazuli' is from the Latin 'lapis' (stone) and
'lazulum' (blue or heaven, which was probably
derived from the Persian 'lazhuward', their name
for the Afghani deposit and also the origin of
the word 'azure'). While in ancientGreece and
Rome Lapis Lazuli was called 'sapphirus' (blue),
today this name refers to the blue variety of
Corundum, Sapphire.Greece and Rome Lapis Lazuli
was called 'sapphirus' (blue), today this name
refers to the blue variety of Corundum,
Sapphire.
Given its long history, Lapis Lazuli is a gem
with a diverse and colourful mythology that
alludes to why it was once as valuable as gold.
Attributed with mystical purifying and curative
properties, this ancient blue gem captivated
Pagans, Jews, Christians, Buddhists and Muslims.
Apart from Persian texts, it was also mentioned
in the bible (Exodus 28:15-30) and in the
Egyptian 'Book of the Dead'. The ancient
Sumerian city of Ur had a thriving trade in
Lapis Lazuli and its royal tombs, excavated in
the late nineteen twenties, contained more than
6,000 exquisite Lapis Lazuli statuettes, dishes,
beads and seals. From around 3000 BC, it was the
darling of Egypt and used in religious
ceremonies, for personal adornment (inlaid jewellery as well as amulets and talismans), and
even as an eye shadow cosmetic. The Greeks and
Romans weren't far behind and in the 1st century
the Roman historian Pliny the Elder described
Lapis Lazuli as, "a fragment of the starry vault
of heaven". A big hit with ancient alchemists,
Lapis Lazuli was even used in medicine and as a
pigment (the colour 'ultramarine' was once
produced from crushed Lapis Lazuli, but has been
made synthetically since 1828).
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Lapis Lazuli
showing its characteristic Pyrite
inclusions
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An opaque gemstone, Lapis Lazuli is actually a
rock comprised primarily of Lazurite and several
other minerals, including Calcite and golden
sparkling flecks of Pyrite ('fool's gold', know
as Marcasite when used in jewellery). When judging Lapis Lazuli, the finest colours
areregarded as an even royal blue (rich purplish
blue). Uneven colour or hints of green will
generally negatively affect the gem's beauty and
value. According to Persian treatises on the gem, Lapis
Lazuli's colours can be broken down into three
classifications: nili (dark blue), assemani
(light blue) and sabz (green). While some prefer Lapis Lazuli that is a solid
pure azure, the presence of flicks of Pyrite is
coveted by many and will not adversely affect
this gem's beauty if relatively small in size
and well balanced in distribution. For me, the presence of Pyrite adds a certain
mystical quality I find both alluring and
attractive. In general, Lapis Lazuli that
contains toomany eye-visible Calcite or Pyrite
inclusions is regarded as not as beautiful and
is valued accordingly. But as with all gems, how you define 'too many'
is best left to the individual. As with all
gems, cut quality is also a consideration. For
Lapis Lazuli the only limits are the lapidary's
imagination, so whether selecting cabochons,
tablets, beads, carvings or figurines, simply
look for shapes and proportions pleasing to the
eye. It can be difficult to find solid blues, and
pieces between 10 to 20 carats in size are
considered exceptionally rare.
The best thing about Lapis Lazuli is that while
it remains one of the world's most enduring and
beautiful opaque gemstones, it is not expensive.
It's not often that a gem with such intense
colours, unique inclusions, and a rich history
and mythology, is still incredibly affordable.
This, along with the fact that its finest
deposit has remained unchanged for thousands of
years, is why I regard Lapis Lazuli as one of
the world's most beautiful blue gemstones.
Pyrite (Marcasite)
Apart from being an attractive inclusion in
Lapis Lazuli, Pyrite is also a regular feature
in jewellery, albeit under a different name.
Incorrectly called Marcasite, this nomenclature
overlap dates back several hundreds of years due
to the visual similarities between Pyrite and
Marcasite. True Marcasite is too unstable to be
used in jewellery. Pyrite appears in golden
metallic colours, which has led to its historic
confusion with gold. In truth, experts should
easily be able to tell the two apart, hence the
common name, 'fool's gold'. Pyrite (Marcasite)
jewellery gained popularity in Victorian
England, where they were cut and polished in
circular or square outlines and pave set so they
sparkled like little Diamonds. Pyrite (Marcasite)
sterling silver jewellery is still hugely
popular today, often appearing in designs
inspired by Queen Victoria's renowned passion
for fine jewellery. |
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