Lapis Lazuli

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Lapis Lazuli: The Earth’s Best Blue

What is Lapis Lazuli?

• Lapis lazuli is a vivid blue metamorphic rock, known for its striking colour and semi-precious gemstone value.
• It has been highly valued for thousands of years for use in jewellery, ornaments, and pigments.
• Etymology:
  • “Lapis” (Latin) means stone.
  • “Lazuli” (Persian – Lazward) means blue.

Composition of Lapis Lazuli

• The blue colour comes from lazurite (25-40%), a rare mineral.
• The shade of blue depends on the amount and structure of sulphur in lazurite.
• Other minerals present:
  • Pyrite (gives golden streaks and sparkle).
  • Calcite (reduces the blueness).
  • Diopside and Sodalite (found in smaller quantities).

Where is Lapis Lazuli Found?

• Major sources include Afghanistan, Chile, Russia, and the United States.
• The highest-quality lapis lazuli is mined in Badakhshan province, Afghanistan, where it has been extracted for over 6,000 years.

Lapis Lazuli in History

• Ancient Trade and Use in India: Imported to India from Badakhshan as early as 1000 BCE.
  • Ornaments made of lapis lazuli have been discovered at Indus Valley Civilization sites (Mohenjo-daro & Harappa).
• Ancient Egypt: Used in jewellery and ground into powder for eye shadow.
• Renaissance Europe: Ground into ultramarine, a rare and expensive blue pigment used by painters.

Lapis Lazuli FAQs

Q1: What is the Lapis Lazuli Corridor?

Ans: The Lapis Lazuli Corridor is an international transit route inaugurated in 2018, connecting Afghanistan to Turkey via Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. This corridor facilitates trade and transportation between South Asia and Europe, enhancing regional economic integration.

Q2: Why is it called the “Lapis Lazuli” Corridor?

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Ans: The name “Lapis Lazuli” is derived from the historic trade route through which lapis lazuli and other semi-precious stones were exported from Afghanistan over the past 2,000 years to regions like the Caucasus, Russia, the Balkans, and North Africa via the Silk Road.

Q3: Which countries does the Lapis Lazuli Corridor traverse?

Ans: The corridor begins in Afghanistan and passes through Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, before reaching Turkey

Source: TH