The
name of this stone comes from 'lapis', the Latin word for stone, and 'azula',
which is Arabic for blue. This opaque, deep blue gemstone has a grand past. It
was among the first gemstones to be worn as jewelry and worked on. At
excavations in the ancient centers of culture, archaeologists have again and
again found among the grave furnishings decorative chains and figures made of
lapis lazuli – clear indications that the deep blue stone was already popular
thousands of years ago among the people of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Persia, Greece
and Rome.
The golden
sarcophagus of King Tutankhamen was richly inlaid with lapis lazuli, as were
other burial ornaments of Egyptian kings and queens. It was used extensively in
scarabs, pendants and other jewelry, and ground into powder for dyes, eye
shadow and medicinal elixirs
Another of
its earliest uses was as a pigment for paint. It was ground up into a powder
and mixed with binding-agents to produce the intense, but expensive,
ultramarine color favored by many early Masters such as Michelangelo. Many
pictures of the Madonna, for example, were created using this paint. Unlike all
other blue pigments, which tend to pale in the light, it loses none of its
radiance. Today the blue pigment obtained from lapis lazuli is mainly used in
restoration work and by collectors of historical paints.
The highest
quality lapis lazui is found in Afghanistan. It is also found in Russia,
Chilean Andes, Italy, Mongolia, the USA, Canada, Myanmar and Pakistan
Lapis
lazuli is regarded as a stone of friendship and truth. It is said to encourage
harmony in relationships and help its wearer to be authentic and give his or
her opinion openly.
This stone
is a powerful crystal for activating the higher mind and enhancing intellectual
ability. It stimulates the desire for knowledge, truth and understanding, and
aids the process of learning. It is excellent for enhancing memory.
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Healing
: Lapis
lazuli is beneficial to the throat, larynx, and vocal chords, and helps
regulate the endocrine and thyroid glands. It enhances circulation and improves
cardiac rhythm. It reduces vertigo and lowers blood
pressure, and is thought to alleviate insomnia . Lapis lazuli is also
thought to relieve general pain and inflammations, and is especially effective
against migraine headaches. It aids the nervous system and brain disorders, and
is believed to help with attention-deficit, autism and Asperger's
syndrome.
Mystical:
Lapis
lazuli is one of the oldest spiritual stones known to man, used by healers,
priests and royalty, for power, wisdom and to stimulate psychic abilities and
inner vision. It represents universal truth. It quickly releases stress,
allowing for peace and serenity. It permits tapping into personal and spiritual
power.
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