Lapis lazuli: properties, advantages, how to work with it and much more

Lapis lazuli (sometimes called simply lapis lazuli) is a metamorphic rock best known for its deep, dark blue color. It also often has streaks, spots, or streaks of gold running throughout. As crystal expert and co-founder of Energy Muse Jewelry Heather Askinosie tells mindbodygreen, lapis lazuli can be found in Afghanistan, Argentina, Chile, Italy, Russia and the United States.
“This intense blue crystal has an endless list of associations with legends, royalty and deities from cultures around the world,” she explains. In particular, the ancient Chinese and Greek civilizations adored lapis lazuli carvings, and it was often ground into powder and used to create eye shadows in ancient Egypt, according to Askinosa.
The stone was also traditionally used in funerary jewelry in Neolithic civilizations because of its value, rarity and healing properties, she notes.
And today it is still revered by crystal enthusiasts around the world.