Sun Mar 23 23:30:00 UTC 2025: ## Ancient Gem’s Rich History Unveiled
**New Delhi, March 24, 2025** – A fascinating article published in *The Hindu* today delves into the history and properties of lapis lazuli, a vibrant blue gemstone prized since antiquity. The article highlights the stone’s unique composition, deriving its intense blue color from lazurite and its golden flecks from pyrite. While found in various countries including Chile, Russia, and the US, Afghanistan’s Badakhshan province remains the source of the highest quality lapis lazuli, with a mining history spanning over 6,000 years.
Evidence suggests a long-standing trade route between Badakhshan and India, with lapis lazuli ornaments discovered at Indus Valley Civilization sites like Mohenjo-daro and Harappa, dating back potentially to 1000 BC. Ancient Egyptians also utilized the stone extensively in jewelry and cosmetics. During the Renaissance, European artists highly valued the pigment ultramarine, created by grinding lapis lazuli.
The name itself reflects the stone’s diverse origins, combining the Latin “lapis” (stone) with the Persian “lazhward” (blue). The article serves as a captivating exploration of this gemstone’s enduring cultural and historical significance.
First Piper 