Lapis Lazuli

Lapis Lazuli is a Virgo birthstone. It is a highly regarded birthstone known for thousands of years. It is a birthstone believed to attract friends, gain favors and realize hopes.

Ancient Egyptian bangle with multiple lapis lazuli stones

Lapis lazuli birthstone takes its name from two words – Latin word ‘lapis’ meaning stone, and Arabic word ‘azul’ that means blue, and it is a rather famous blue birthstone. You can come across different names for this gem like lazurit, lazurite, zemech lazarilli, the azure gem, and the Armenian stone.

Major sources of the birthstone are Afghanistan, mines west of lake Baikal in Russia and Andes mountains Chile. There are also large deposits of lapis lazuli in the Canadian arctic. Nowadays the gem is relatively affordable, but an 18th century price list using emerald as a unit of measure ranked sapphire as two emeralds, ruby worth three emeralds , and lapis lazuli was as expensive as fifteen emeralds

Lapis Lazuli pendant

Lapis Lazuli pendant

Various silver rings set with lapis lazuli

Various silver rings set with lapis lazuli

Pliny the Elder, philosopher and navy commander in Roman Empire, wrote that lapis lazuli is “opaque and sprinkled with specks of gold”.  Because the stone combine the blue of the heavens and golden glitter of the sun, it was emblematic of success in the old Jewish tradition. In the early Christian tradition birthstone lapis lazuli was regarded as the stone of Virgin Mary, and was often chosen as a gem in episcopal rings and used in altars.

First known mentionings of the gem date back thousands of years B.C. and it was often referred to as sapir or sapphire. In fact, those two gemstones were often confused between each other in the old scripts. The rock was highly valued in Egypt and Babylon. “Strong bull, great of horns, perfect in form, with long flowing beard, bright as lapis-lazuli.” – says an old Assyrian hymn in honor of moon-god Sin.

Egyptian priests wore lapis lazuli amulets as they were considered an emblem of the heavens. Epiphanius, Bishop of Constantia in Cyprus, quoted earlier sources that the Tables of the Law of Moses were written on two blocks of lapis lazuli, which is often considered as the eleventh stone of the breastplate. Chinese ancient writings report that the gem was offered to the lords of the universe by kinds and high priests. Greeks and Romans considered lapis lazuli a gem of heaven as well. For them this birthstone symbolized personal bravery and was regarded as a gem of true friendship.

As early as 1500 years before Christ people put lapis lazuli birthstone on children’s neck to reduce fever. The gem was also used to cure eye troubles, melancholia, and blood disorders. Lapis lazuli was one of the favorite gemstones of alchemists. It was believed to draw out all evil and dissipate it into the air.

Especially if it was one’s birthstone, lapis lazuli was considered a powerful talisman to attract friends, gain favors and realize hopes.

Using lapis lazuli, skilled jewelers can design and produce exquisite pieces worn by celebrities like Rihanna, Blake Lively, Amy Adams, Jennifer Lawrence and even Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge.