Hello everyone! This week's crystal is Lapis lazuli, which is one of my favourite crystals!
Crystal Family
Lapis Lazuli ranges from a light blue to a bluish violet with inclusions. These inclusions vary and include calcite, pyrite, Augite, diopside, enstatite, mica, hauyrite, hornblende, nosean,and sodalite. The colouring agent that creates Lapis Lazuli is Sulphur.
Lapis Lazuli is found in Afghanistan, Russia (at Lake Baikal), Chile, Italy, United States, Egypt and the Middle East.
Lapis Lazuli is 5.5-6 on the Mohs Hardness. It is usually found as a grainy mass in all sizes and rarely as crystal form. It is Opaque and it can also can be cleansed in all ways.
Lapis Lazuli Formation: Cubic
Chemical Composition: Na6 Ca2 [(S, SO4, Cl2)/Al6 Si6 O24]
Lapis Lazuli is a Sulphur Sodium Aluminium Silicate.
History and Mythology of Lapis Lazuli
Lapis Lazuli has been used for 6000 years within jewellery! It was first mined from the Sar-e-Sang deposit in Afghanistan. It was one of the first gemstones to be used in jewellery with the oldest pieces found in the Hindukush Mountains of Afghanistan! Lapis Lazuli's name means 'blue stone' with Lapis latin for stone and Lazuli Persian for 'Azure' or 'Blue'.
Lapis Lazuli has been found in the Mesopotamian royal tombs near the Uron River of the Euphrates as gold flowers inlaid with lapis lazuli were found. Also in the tomb of a Royal Sumerian was found thousands of statues of animals carved in Lapis lazuli.
Lapis Lazuli is most well known as been used by the Ancient Egyptians. They used it for a number of things, from royal jewellery, to amulets to even carved statues of the Gods! It was believed the Gods could preside in the statues. It was also known by the Egyptians as Lazurite which was believed to symbolise beauty. Evidence of this can be seen on the Shabaka stone which says of the King's daughter:
'Her charms are like those of Anat
Her beauty is like the beauty of Astoreh
Her hair gleams like Lapis Lazuli'
It also shows how lapis lazuli was used as a status symbol within the Egyptian Royal circles. It was used by Cleopatra as eye liner as it was ground up into a fine grain.
Lapis Lazuli was also used by Ancient Egyptian Judges as a carved Maat amulet around their necks - Maat was a Goddess who symbolised Truth and justice within Egyptian society, and if Maat was not around, chaos would ensue.
The Romans, thought that this stone prevented miscarriages and epilepsy and could be used as a aphrodisiac. They named it 'Sapphirus' Hence it's misinterpretation as a sapphire in the Bible.
In South American cultures, Lapis lazuli was used in Ancient rites.
In the Far East, Lapis lazuli was incorporated into panels and Plaques as it was believed that Lapis lazuli had magical properties as the pyrite inclusions within the stone were seen as stars - these stars were believed to guide human fates.
In the Middle Ages it was used for medicinal purposes. It was believed to help prevent the 4 day fever. It was also used as a pigment to produce Ultramarine.
Marco Polo (1254-1324), was an Christian explorer who came across Lapis Lazuli and wrote:
'There is a mountain in that region where the finest Azure (lapis lazuli) in the world is found. It appears in Veins like silver streaks.'
Even in Christianity, this gemstone has been used and revered. In the bible it is believed to have been mixed up and referred to as a Sapphire, in the old testament as there is a description of a 'Sapphire sprinkled with gold dust'. This sounds like how we would describe Lapis now. It was incorporated in 14th century AD paintings of Madonna as it was seen as a Virtuous stone. The Roman order of Jesuits has a Lapis lazuli globe 60cm in diameter.
In 1520-1523, an artist Titian painted 'Bacchus and Ariadne', a Greek myth. The Blue robe of Ariadne is created using pigment made from Lapis Lazuli!
There was a prescription in 1600BC for a remedy for cataracts using Lapis lazuli as one of the ingredients.
During Napoleon's expedition in Egypt (made in 1798- 1801), he took a Lapis Lazuli carved Scarab from a Pharaoh's tomb and was believed to carry it with him everywhere.
It was a favourite stone with many Royal families including Louis XIV, the French king known as the Sun king and by the German Emperor Wilhelm I.
Crystal healing Properties
Lapis Lazuli teaches us the power of the spoken word. It reverses curses and past diseases from our past lives and our past. It ultimately helps harmonises all plains of ourselves from mental, emotional, spiritual and physical.
When carried it helps to enhance your natural abilities. If you hand it to a loved one it is believed to help strengthen the relationship. Placed in an office or at home, it can help create a more organised atmosphere for you.
Mentally, It is known as the feel better stone as it helps release stress and give a deep inner peace within yourself. It brings clarity of thought and helps encourage creativity. It also helps mental endurance and promotes natural skills and endurance that is within yourself. It teaches you to actively listen to people instead of ignoring them.
Emotionally, it reveals inner truth and gives you self awareness of this truth. It releases repressed anger while bringing honesty, compassion and uprightness to your personality. To relax and destress you can place this crystal in the bathroom. Helps you to express opinions and to prevent conflict.
Spiritually it helps stimulate enlightenment and psychic abilities. It helps with dream work. It protects and helps connect you to your spiritual Guardians. It also blocks from Psychic attacks.
Physically it can aid with:
High blood pressure
Depression
Headaches especially migraines
Ensures a refreshing sleep - stops insomnia ( Place under the pillow)
Cramp
Strengthens vision
Respiratory system
Nervous system
Throat
Larynx
Thyroid
Cleanse the organs
Bone Marrow
Thymus
Immune system
Hearing loss
Purifies the blood
Skeletal pain
Aids detox
Repairs muscles, broken bones and fractures
Zodiac sign: Sagittarius
It encourages Sagittarius to turn their intellectual and multi-faceted ideas into practical application. In Astrology, Lapis Lazuli is believed to be the Stone of Friendship as it helps relations and boosts self-confidence.
Chakra Association: Third Eye Chakra and Throat Chakra
Thank you again for reading about the incredible lapis lazuli. All items except the amulets are available on the website to purchase. See below the Bibliography.
Bibliography
Crystal Power: Mythology and history, Andreas Guhr and Jorg Nagler, 2006
The Crystal Bible, Judy Hall
The Healing Power of Crystals, Cass and Janie Jackson
The Crystal Healer, Philip Permutt, 2015
Crystal Tips and Cures, Philip Permutt, 2015
The Lure of Gems, Steven Bennett
Gemstones of the World, Walter Schumann
Crystal Power, Crystal Healing: The Complete Handbook, Michael Gienger