Lapis Lazuli (LARGE stone)

Item Description

A large and fine quality oval cabochon of the classic Lapis Lazuli stones from the Badakhshan Province of Afghanistan. Mining has taken place in this area for thousands of years, and the famous blue Lapis made its way around the world, as the Silk Road crossed through Badakhshan. Marco Polo wrote about Lapis in the year 1271, as he visited the mining areas in the Kokcha Valley. Lapis essentially is a rock composed primarily of the blue mineral Lazurite (which has just recently be re-approved as a valid species), along with minor white Calcite and metallic golden Pyrite. This piece is a classic example featuring almost solid Lazurite with a bit of sparkling Pyrite. The richness and consistency of the color is rare in a piece this size. It weighs a whopping 220.4 grams (1,102 carats!). A big beautiful piece of this beloved historic material that would make a nice decorator item, or something you could pair along side a specimen of crystallized Lazurite for a cool rough and cut set.