The Meaning of Lapis Lazuli
Lapis Lazuli is a potent stone of ancient wisdom. Its energy is calm and serene, helping your personal awareness to flow and amplify around you without the sort of harsh judgments that many of us place on ourselves. Lapis Lazuli is saturated with truth. Its deep color and even deeper energy resonate with the notion of shedding light on the otherwise dim corners of our minds. It is a stone for clarity, for understanding. When we “get” something, there is a certain kind of vibration that happens. Lapis Lazuli knows that vibration, and not only does it know it, but it also encourages and amplifies it in us. While you may tend to see Lapis Lazuli as more of a “thinker’s” stone in terms of the straightforward nature of its energy, it is also an incredibly creative stone.
The Ancient Wisdom and Metaphysical Significance of Lapis Lazuli
The ancient and profound wisdom contained within Lapis Lazuli lies not only in its physical structure and the components that create it but also in its simple beauty. Nicknamed “the stone of friendship,” Lapis Lazuli is a natural rock ingredient whose physical and metaphysical components are perfect for creating a connection between the physical and spiritual realms. Throughout history and across cultures, people have been using this stone for protection, inner exploration, and for achieving a better state of mental balance. Today, we use it for similar purposes, as well as for communication, insights, and the development of our “inner eye.”
Associations of Lapis Lazuli with the Zodiac
Lapis Lazuli is a crystal that works wonders for the Zodiac sign Libra. Lapis Lazuli empowers a Libra to be their best self, especially when the going gets tough. It can help you, if you’re a Libra, of course, in what is called “rising to your potential.” It can also help you in another area that’s vitally important to the Libra sign: accessing your intuition and allowing yourself to connect more deeply with your inner wisdom. Lapis Lazuli will help you in something for which all Libras can use a little more refinement: listening. It will help you open your mind to perspectives other than your own and, as a result, might help you temper some of those difficult emotions that, as a Libra, you have a tendency to experience.
Lapis Lazuli and the Third Eye Chakra
The Third Eye Chakra is activated and opened by Lapis Lazuli. This deep-blue stone is mainly composed of lazurite, a mineral that contains sulfur. Sulfur acts as a catalyst that forms two additional minerals, calcite and pyrite, which are found in lapis lazuli. These three ingredients—lazurite, calcite, and pyrite—bring the stone’s appearance to life. While these minerals are found in a variety of rocks around the world, lapis lazuli is unique because its formation occurs so deep within the earth.
The Element of Air and Lapis Lazuli
Lapis Lazuli is frequently linked with the Element of Air because its celestial energy seems more than earthly. Ancient cultures used this stone for its potent power to improve not only everyday conversations but also the important and far-reaching intellectual processes that connect us with the unseen but not unfelt world of “intelligence.”
How to Use Lapis Lazuli for Personal Growth
Are you in quest of answers and not quite getting them, or poor things, a deeper connection with your intuition? Do you find it hard to communicate with your inner self? When faced with the nearly endless choices of modern life, do you feel overwhelmed to the point that you can’t make a decision? The ancient power of Lapis Lazuli can help. This all-knowing stone attracts truths from the deepest part of your being. Lapis Lazuli not only brings a serene, almost meditative energy, but it also helps to open your mind to communicate with your intuition far better than you ever have before. And it helps you make the right decision (or at least the best one you can make under the circumstances).
Meditating with Lapis Lazuli
Lapis Lazuli is recognized as the stone of wisdom and truth in meditative practices, and it has long been used in contexts of deep contemplation. This stone possesses an energy that is inherently conducive to serene states of being, and if you are feeling a bit frantic in your everyday life and are searching for some answers, or if you just want to get a bit more in touch with your intuition, try this meditation while holding a Lapis Lazuli. You might also consider placing a Lapis at your Third Eye during a silent sit. The stone’s energy is amplifying, and you might be surprised at the powerful thoughts and insights that come to you while focusing on its essence.
The Healing Power of Lapis Lazuli Jewelry
The age-old practice of adorning oneself with Lapis Lazuli has not lost its relevance in the modern world. In fact, this exquisite, deep-blue stone serves as more than just an aesthetic adornment in today’s society. Wearing Lapis Lazuli brings the wearer in close contact with the age-old wisdom that this stone has in abundance. For those who are experiencing difficulty with any manner of communication—be it with other people or themselves—wearing Lapis Lazuli in the form of a pendant can act as a beneficial salve for the problem. Indeed, the Lapis Lazuli pendant has a special place, as it is worn near the wearer’s Throat Chakra.
The Power of Lapis Lazuli Bracelets and Rings
Donning bracelets and rings of Lapis Lazuli can be quite advantageous, too. They can help you channel the potent energy of the healing stone and aid you in continuing to clarify and express your inner truth. By all means, wear Lapis Lazuli on whichever hand you are most comfortable with, but if possible, direct its energy toward your intentions by wearing it on your dominant hand. The middle finger is often touted as the best finger for a Lapis Lazuli ring; doing so can increase your mental strength and, once again, help you clarify your thoughts and intentions.
Silver vs. Gold for Lapis Lazuli Jewelry
It is widely thought that Lapis Lazuli functions more effectively with silver than with gold. Some say that silver complements the energy of Lapis Lazuli, whereas gold is almost too “showy.” When you look for jewelry made with Lapis Lazuli, this is something to consider because it is not always convenient for a person to carry around. But if you are a person who values the magic of gemstones and who looks for opportunities to create a more energetically mindful life as the days unfold, this is something your jewelry can do for you.
Using Lapis Lazuli in Your Workspace
Although Lapis Lazuli is advantageous wherever one resides, its true potential can be realized in the workspace. Fostering that atmosphere and bringing clarity is good for work; it’s even better when working at decisions along life’s more important pathways. So if you work from home, sculpt a piece of Lapis Lazuli to help guide you toward those stages. If you don’t work from home, put it to use in your bedroom while you’re making more vital communications within the dream world.
How to Cleanse and Care for Lapis Lazuli
Lapis Lazuli can be cleansed in a variety of ways. The stone is relatively hard, but if you choose to use water as your cleansing method, take care not to let the Lapis Lazuli sit in water for too long. The calcite in this stone might cause it to be damaged in water. Other methods that are safer for the stone and are just as effective include smoke cleansing, sound baths, or leaving your Lapis Lazuli under the light of a full moon.
The Geological Composition of Lapis Lazuli
Lapis Lazuli is a bright blue metamorphic rock that holds a wealth of minerals. Its main constituent is lazurite, which gives the stone its intense blue color. Yet, color alone is insufficient to describe this beautiful stone: when it is properly polished, lapis lazuli exhibits a rich contrast of textures. The blues range from light to deep shades, and these deep blues serve as the best backdrop against which to show off the other minerals. Poor polishing or “underpolishing” can upstage the very colors that make this beautiful stone worthwhile. The minerals accompanied by the Lazurite also play a key role in defining the beautiful stone that is Lapis Lazuli.
The Value and Quality of Lapis Lazuli
The pure blue color of Lapis Lazuli is what makes it valuable. Lapis Lazuli must be distinctly blue and contain at least 25% Lazurite to be called Lapis Lazuli at all. The stone’s value diminishes considerably when the amount of Lazurite is low and the amount of white (which primarily comes from calcite) is high. If one were to take a piece of Lapis Lazuli that contained 25% to 30% Lazurite and then heat and press it until it was 70% to 80% blue, then whatever was not blue in that stone was more likely to be pyroxene, a blueish mineral that, lent in large amounts to a stone, makes that stone highly undesirable.
The Formation of Lapis Lazuli
Because of this exposure to heat, Lazurite is formed in the host rock and often within specific bands or layers. The intense thermal energy causes the Calcite in the rock to convert to Lazurite, giving Lapis Lazuli its signature deep blue color. The minerals that go into making Lapis Lazuli—Pyrite, Calcite, and Lazurite—are formed from the same intense heat, which drives them to combine together in the lower temperature environment of the cooling host rock.
Mohs Hardness of Lapis Lazuli
The Mohs hardness of Lapis Lazuli is usually between 5 and 5.5. However, this stone can actually fall anywhere between 3 and 6.5 on the scale. What gives the Lapis its medium hardness is the amount of calcite it contains. The more of that mineral you have, the softer (and whiter) the stone becomes. Conversely, the more pyrite you have in a Lapis Lazuli, the “harder” the stone and the better looking (or so some think). Humans have been using Lapis Lazuli for thousands of years, with the largest known mine, Sar-i Sang, operating in Afghanistan for at least 6,000 years.
Locations Where Lapis Lazuli is Found
Lapis Lazuli is a stone predominantly found in Afghanistan, but it also occurs in various other parts of the world, including Russia, Chile, Pakistan, and the United States. In the U.S., it’s been found in Colorado and California.