Lapis Lazuli

Ultramarine before it was pigment.

Lazurite-rich metamorphic rock

For centuries lapis travelled farther than many people did. Its blue once became the pigment ultramarine; pyrite flecks record its mineral origin.

Colour

Deep blue with pyrite and calcite

Formation

Metamorphosed limestone

Origin

Badakhshan · Afghanistan

Hardness

5–5.5 Mohs

Care

Wipe gently; avoid acids and soaking

A mineral blue once reserved for painting the heavens.

Lapis travelled the Silk Roads before becoming pigment, ornament and inlay. Its deep gan blue suggests distance, learning and the painted heavens of temples and manuscripts.