Lapis Lazuli Gemstone Symbolism Facts & Meaning: Zodiac, Superstitions, Dreams, and Legends
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Lapis Lazuli Gemstone Facts and History
The Lapis Lazuli Gemstone is not actually a gemstone but a metamorphic rock made up of a collection of minerals. Its mesmerizing appearance of intense blue with specks of gold made it a highly beloved material by nobles, religious leaders, and artisans since antiquity.
Classified as a semi-precious gemstone, Lapis Lazuli’s intense blue color is due to the presence of the lazurite mineral and the golden specks from pyrite. Other minerals commonly found in making Lapis Lazuli include sodalite, which contributes to its blue color, and calcite, which adds white to the sought-after rock.
The Lapis Lazuli Gemstone has been mined for millennia–about 6,000 years. It has a long and rich history, starting at the earliest place it is known to be mined at, the Sar-i Sang mines in northern Afghanistan.
Mine deposits of Lapis Lazuli are rare because they need precise geological conditions to be formed. In ancient times, the presence of the Lapis Lazuli mines in ancient Afghanistan allowed historians to map out trading routes throughout the Indus Valley and discover trade relations between Ancient Egypt, Babylonia, Mesopotamia, Mycenae, and more.
Artifacts made of Lapis Lazuli dating back to 7,750 BC were found in the archeological site of Bhirrana, the oldest site from the Indus Valley civilization. It was also highly used in Ancient Egyptian tombs, including King Tutankhamun’s in 3,000 BC, whose death mask was also found to be made with Lapis Lazuli.
In antiquity, Lapis Lazuli was referred to as sapphirus. Theophrastus, an ancient Greek philosopher and scientist, described a stone called sapphirus as speckled with gold and categorized it as a valuable stone.
Biblical passages also mentioned Lapis Lazuli by its ancient name, including it as one of the precious jewels in the Jewish high priest’s breastplate.
This caused early translations of the Biblical texts and other ancient written works to mistakenly substitute sapphire, a precious gemstone that was only discovered during Roman times, with Lapis Lazuli.
Pliny the Elder, an ancient Roman naturalist, described Lapis Lazuli as an opaque stone speckled with gold. Marco Polo also wrote about Lapis Lazuli mines during his travels in 1217.
Lapis is Latin for stone while Lazuli at the earliest, came from the Persian word lājevard, which evolved into the Arabic word lāzurd, and then to the Latin lazulum. All infers to “sky” or “heaven” in reference to the gemstone’s intense blue color. In Latin, lapis lazulum can be roughly translated to “stone from the sky or heaven.”
Today, mine deposits of Lapis Lazuli Gemstones are still quite rare. It is mined commercially in Afghanistan, Chile, and Russia with small commercial mines in Pakistan, Italy, Mongolia, the US, and Canada.
The Lapis Lazuli Gemstone has a Mohs scale rating of 5 to 5.5, making it an excellent material for carving and more.
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Lapis Lazuli Gemstone Uses
The Lapid Lazuli Gemstone was being grounded to powder form during the Renaissance to create the incredibly valuable ultramarine pigment. Some of the most popular paintings that used ultramarine are Girl with the Pearl Earring by Vermeer and Michaelangelo’s fresco in the Sistine Chapel.
Ancient Egyptians also ground Lapis Lazuli to create cosmetic eye shadows. Cleopatra was known to favor using Lapis Lazuli eye shadows.
Ancient civilizations have used Lapis Lazuli for dyes, talismans, jewelry, and medicinal elixirs like aphrodisiacs.
Because Lapis Lazuli is not a particularly hard material, ornaments, artifacts, and carvings of Lapis Lazuli have been in high demand since antiquity. Many ancient sculptures and artifacts of the blue stone have been unearthed in historic sites, including the Golden Lyre of Ur excavated from Iraq and estimated to be from 3,500 BC.
Lapis Lazuli is also used to create interior decor and building finishes. Saint Isaac’s Cathedral in Saint Petersburg has two columns of Lapis Lazuli framing its iconostasis.
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Lapis Lazuli Gemstone Spiritual Meaning and Symbolism
The Lapis Lazuli Gemstone has been a symbol of royalty, power, and divinity since ancient times. It also came to represent wisdom, intellect, and truth by many cultures since antiquity.
Often referred to as a wisdom stone, Lapis Lazuli is believed to enhance curiosity in the world. It will open the mind to seeking out new knowledge, truth, and the ability to learn. It is also believed to improve memory and intellectual abilities. It is dubbed as a stone of truth.
Lapis Lazuli is believed to help with good communication and connecting deeply with others. This enables improving relationships with friends, partners, and family.
The Lapis Lazuli Gemstone is connected to the third eye chakra and the throat chakra. This helps with clear intuition and awareness of the world. It also enhances clear communication and the ability to authentically express inner truth to the world.
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Lapis Lazuli Gemstone Symbolism of Different Shapes and Forms
Afghan Lapis Lazuli or Persian Lapis Lazuli is the most valuable and most difficult to obtain. It has a uniform blue, almost violet color with little to no specks of gold. This variety symbolizes royalty and luxury.
Raw Lapis Lazuli is untreated, uncut, unpolished rock straight from the earth. These are beautiful decorative Lapis Lazuli for the home or outdoors that help with channeling protective energy.
Tumbled Lapis Lazuli are the smooth rounded form of the gemstone. It is most used for crystal work to help balance the chakras.
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Lapis Lazuli Gemstone Symbolism in Different Cultures
The Jewish religion associates Lapis Lazuli with success while Christianity believed the blue stone to be a representation of the Virgin Mary. In Islam, the stone is used to protect against the evil eye. Buddhism used the stone to promote inner peace and healing.
Ancient Egyptians and Ancient Sumerians highly covet the striking stone and believed it to symbolize immortality and divinity.
In pre-colonial America, Lapis Lazuli was a symbol of the night sky.
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Lapis Lazuli Gemstone in Combination with other Gems
The amethyst and Lapis Lazuli Gemstone combination beautifully complements the two and enhances intuition, wisdom, and thirst for knowledge.
Pyrite and Lapis Lazuli together are a great combination for those who want to reach success. This gem pairing improves manifestation and motivation to reach set goals.
The turquoise and Lapis Lazuli Gemstone pairing is highly beneficial to emotional healing and for those who want to balance their emotions.
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Lapis Lazuli Gemstone Birthstone and Zodiac Sign
Lapis Lazuli along with turquoise is traditionally the birthstone of December. It is also the birthstone of the zodiac Sagittarius.
Sagittarius benefits from Lapis Lazuli Gemstones as they bring balance to their honesty through better communication skills. The stone also encourages independent Sagittarius to nurture their relationship with others.
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Lapis Lazuli Gemstone in Dreams
The Lapis Lazuli Gemstone’s resemblance to the sky makes it a beautiful stone for dreamwork. Because of its connection to the third eye chakra, it can help promote vivid dreams and imagination.
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Lapis Lazuli Gemstone Omens and Superstitions
According to superstitions, Lapis Lazuli stone brings luck in whatever ventures the owner takes.
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Lapis Lazuli Gemstone Mythology and Folklore
The Sumerian goddess of love Inanna is depicted carrying rods of Lapis Lazuli as she journeys through the underworld. These Lapis Lazuli rods measure a person’s lifeline.
