Lapis Lazuli

“The original ultramarine blue”

Metamorphic

Lapis lazuli is a deep blue metamorphic rock composed primarily of the mineral lazurite, along with calcite and pyrite. For millennia it was the only source of the vibrant ultramarine blue pigment, which was literally worth more than gold during the Renaissance.

Composition

lazurite, calcite, pyrite, sodalite, hauyne

Where Found

Badakhshan (Afghanistan — primary source for 6,000+ years), Lake Baikal (Russia), Chile, Mogok (Myanmar)

Mohs Hardness

5-5.5

Fun Fact

The ultramarine pigment ground from lapis lazuli was so expensive that Renaissance painters reserved it for the most important figure in a painting — almost always the robes of the Virgin Mary.