Lapis / Lazurite in Calcite (ex Dr. Miguel Romero Collection)

Item Description

It should be noted that Lazurite is probably no longer going to be a species, according to Tom Moore and Rob Woodside (see Mineralogical Record 45 #3: 281-336), all of Lazurite that has been analyzed turns out to be a sulfide rich variety of Hauyne. This material was long defined as its own species, but reclassification is needed and this well known material will probably be discredited. With that said, good crystals are very difficult to find and is typically used for cabochons and carving in its massive form (it's one of the components of Lapis Lazuli). This is certainly a worthwhile piece of the famous Lapiz Lazuli from this most historic of localities with beautiful rich blue streaks of Lazurite running through the Calcite matrix. Keep in mind that this piece is not from contemporary mining, but came out during a time when these were the finest examples of Lazurite / Lapis in the world From the collection of Senator / Dr. Miguel Romero of Teuhuacan, Mexico. For more information on this important collection, use the link to this free online copy of our 2008 book on his collection: http://www.irocks.com/e-book-romero/