Detailed sheet

lazurite

Discovered in 1890, its name comes from the Persian “Lazhward” which means blue. This is the main component of lapis lazuli, that gives it its beautiful ultramarine blue color. Pure crushed lazurite gives the blue pigment used since antiquity. The Egyptians went to Afghanistan to seek it at Sar-e-Sang in the valley Koksha in the current Badakhshan, Afghanistan.



CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS

(Na,Ca)8Al6[Si6O24](S,SO4,Cl2)

complex silicate



PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Main color

blue

Other colors

purple

ultramarine blue, sometimes purplish or greenish

Color of streak

blue

Luster

resinous, vitreous

Hardness

5.0 to 5.5

Density

2.35 to 2.45

Cleavage

indistinct

Fracture

conchoidal, uneven

very difficult cleavage



OPTICAL PROPERTIES

Transparency

opaque, translucent

very intense color

Refractive index

1.500 - 1.525

Double refraction

0.000

zero because isotropic but some polarization anomalies are possible

visible double refraction

No

Pleochroism

absent

Number of colors

1

Fluorescence

none



CRYSTALS PROPERTIES

dodecahedra, hexoctahedrals

crystals system

cubic



OTHER INFORMATIONS

Exploited
sites

Apart from historical deposits of Afghanistan and Tajikistan, it is found in Canada on Baffin Island, Italy, Siberia near Lake Baikal, Slovakia, Sweden, United States (California, Arkansas, Colorado ).

use in jewelry

It was used since ancient times, in the Middle Ages it was used to prepare blue dyes and pigments for paints. Very expensive, it was often replaced with azurite. As the lapis lazuli, it is cut cabochon for rings. The lapis lazuli and lazurite are the stones for the anniversary of the ninth year of marriage.

Daily care
and precautions

It is fragile, gets damaged by bathing it in hot water, soap, acids. It must avoid contact with household cleaners and should be washed with warm water carefully, and dried immediately.

imitations and
treatments

This is the component which gives the beautiful color to lapis lazuli, it was often tried to imitate, but its ultramarine color is so distinctive when lazurite is pure, that it is very difficult.

Historical
healing properties

See lapis lazuli, lazurite being its principal constituent, they have a lot of common properties

Other
Gems

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