Lapis is a vivid dark blue which is usually flecked with pyrite (fool’s gold) which sparkles when you hold it up to the light. The greatest reserves of this beautiful stone are in Afghanistan, where it has been mined from the same small area of a single river valley in the remote province of Badakshan for over 6,000 years.
85 percent of the world’s lapis comes from Afghanistan, and the rest from Chile in South America. We have lapis jewelry from both places in our store. The quality of the stone from Afghanistan is better, while the quality of the jewelry making is usually better in Chile.
You can search lapis to find more pictures in travel blogs on this subject.
