A blue egg

Lapis lazuli is a gemstone that has a deep blue colour with golden inclusions of pyrites which shimmer like little stars. I recently bought a piece of Lapis lazuli stone that was cut into the shape of an egg, some thing like an ester egg. I enjoy looking at this deep blue colour, seem like gazing into the mysterious outer space and immerse myself in the galaxies.

 

Lapis lazuli has a grand past. It was among the first gemstones to be worn as jewellery. Many artefacts like swords and sabres, have been dug out from ancient graves in China. These artefacts all have decorations of lapis lzzuli on them. At excavations in the Mediterranean, chains and figures with furnishings made of lapis lazuli have also been dug out. These findings show that the deep blue stone was already popular thousands of years ago as a decorative stone to be worn by people in China and other parts of the world. It was ground into powder for use as a pigment in art works. Here, the colour was referred to as 'ultramarine', which means something like 'from beyond the sea'. Ground up into a powder and stirred up together with binding-agents, the marble-like gemstone often brighten up works of art in mediums such as watercolours, tempera or oil-paints.
 
Lapis lazuli is regarded by many people  as the stone of friendship and truth. The blue stone is said to encourage harmony in relationships. It help its wearer to be authentic and give his or her opinion openly.

The prices of this gemstone depend on the intensity of its colour. The most popular is an intense, deep blue colour. Fine crystals of pyrites which shimmer in gold will increase the value of the gemstone, whilst a restless, rough grain will reduce it.

I also have a bracelet of lapis lazuli.