Lapis Lazuli -tumbled

• Size: approx. 2.5–3.0 cm
• Rock type: lapis lazuli
• Composition / minerals: including lazurite, calcite, sodalite and pyrite
• Hardness: 5–5.5 on the Mohs scale

Lapis lazuli has been valued as a precious stone for thousands of years. It was especially important in ancient Egypt, where it was used in jewellery, amulets and burial objects to symbolise divinity and protection. The stone was also used in other early cultures for seals and decorative objects. In the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, lapis lazuli was ground to make the precious ultramarine pigment, used especially in religious art. Its deep blue colour was associated with power, holiness and wisdom, making it a highly prized material throughout history.

Symbolic meaning

Lapis lazuli is said to open the third eye and balance the throat chakra. It is believed to strengthen insight and deepen dreamwork. The stone is associated with supporting the inner journey and the development of personal and spiritual power. It is traditionally believed to ease stress quickly and bring deep peace. Lapis lazuli is regarded as a calming stone that supports spiritual growth.

Lapis lazuli is also considered a protective stone, believed to connect one with personal guardians or protective forces. It is said to recognise psychic attack, stop it and return the energy to its source. The stone is also thought to teach the power of the spoken word and to help release difficulties connected with years of silence or unspoken experience.

Lapis lazuli is said to encourage taking responsibility for one’s own life. It brings inner truth to the surface, strengthens self-confidence and supports fearless self-expression without the need to conform. The stone is believed to help release suppressed anger and ease tension around the throat area or difficulties in communication.

Lapis lazuli is associated with clear thinking, mental clarity and objectivity. It supports creativity that arises from a connection to the inner source, and helps one face the truth wherever it appears, as well as accept the lessons it brings.

Lapis lazuli is said to strengthen relationships in love and friendship and to make emotional expression easier. It has also been used symbolically in relation to releasing inner martyrdom, cruelty and suffering.

About the stone

Lapis lazuli is not a single mineral, but a metamorphic rock composed of several minerals. Its blue colour is mainly due to lazurite, which forms when limestone-rich sedimentary rocks are altered under high pressure and temperature.

The most historically significant source is in Badakhshan, Afghanistan, where lapis lazuli has been mined for more than 6,000 years. The stone was carried along early trade routes to Mesopotamia and Egypt, and has been found in ancient Egyptian burial objects and Sumerian jewellery.

In the Middle Ages, ground lapis lazuli was used to produce ultramarine pigment. This pigment was one of the most valuable painting materials of its time and was used especially in religious works. Its value came from both its intense colour and the rarity created by long trade routes.

The golden inclusions of pyrite are not gold, but iron sulphide. The pale veins are calcite. These features are part of the stone’s natural structure.

Please note: Meanings associated with stones can be personal and may depend on how each individual experiences the stone in their own life. Symbolic interpretation is also highly subjective, and each person’s experience of a stone may be unique. Crystals and minerals are natural products, so each piece is one of a kind. Colours, shapes and clarity may therefore vary. Light brings out their natural beauty best.