Lapis Lazuli Stone

Lapis Lazuli Stone Meanings and Introduction

Lapis lazuli, sometimes referred to as the “wisdom and truth stone,” is a rich blue gemstone sprinkled with golden flecks of pyrite that look like a starry night sky—a quality that has prompted some to call it the “stone of heaven.” This eye-catching rock has wowed people for millennia, representing everything from inner truth to spiritual enlightenment to something some might call “intellectual magic.” Indeed, it’s said to enhance self-awareness, encourage self-expression, and foster communication that one might think of as honest.

Lapis lazuli is popular with crystal enthusiasts and energy healers for use in jewelry and art and for spiritual work. Its vivid colors, coupled with a long and rich history, secure lapis lazuli a prestigious place as one of the well-esteemed gemstones throughout the world. But what makes Lapis Lazuli unique, allowing it to hold such a prominent position? Let’s examine Lapis Lazuli’s captivating past, remarkable physical features, and applied therapeutic attributes.

History of the Lapis Lazuli Stone

Lapis lazuli is a rich, vibrant blue stone with a long and rich history. For over 6,000 years, people have mined it, with the most glamorous deposits located in Afghanistan. Ancient Egyptians, Sumerians, and Persians treasured this mysterious stone, often using it to decorate precious objects and in secret, high-end applications that few modern people understand. The most famous use of lapis lazuli is in the golden death mask of the Pharaoh Tutankhamun.

In Mesopotamia, the shimmering blue stone that we now call lapis lazuli was admired and thought to have divine qualities. Its beauty made it desirable, but its association with wisdom and the heavenly realm made it truly special. To the Greeks and Romans, this gemstone was so precious that they ground it into powder to make an ultramarine pigment, which was (and still is) one of the most expensive painting mediums. The lapis pigment was used to paint the sky in many Renaissance paintings, a sign of its value.

Physical Properties of Lapis Lazuli Stone

Lapis lazuli is not a single mineral but a composite rock made primarily of lazurite, along with calcite, sodalite, and pyrite. Its deep blue color comes from lazurite, while the golden specks are pyrite inclusions. The presence of calcite can create white streaks, which influence the stone’s overall appearance.

Physical Characteristics of Lapis Lazuli

Lapis lazuli’s relative softness compared to other gemstones makes it in need of careful handling. Its enduring exposure to water, chemicals, or direct sunlight can harm it, making it look like it has lost the luster that was inherent in its surface.

Lapis Lazuli Stone Healing Properties and Benefits

The metaphysical properties of lapis lazuli make it one of the most sought-after stones in the world. It is believed to benefit the mind, body, and spirit in several incredible ways.

Mental and Emotional Clarity

Lapis lazuli is frequently referred to as the “stone of wisdom” because many believe it to enhance not only the intellect but also something that is greatly underestimated and often ignored—mental and emotional clarity. It is no surprise that as far back as ancient Egypt, those in power wore it and, in fact, adorned their tombs with it. Tutankhamun’s sarcophagus reportedly contained more lapis lazuli than any other material. And while many might discount the placement of such a rock in a former pharaoh’s tomb as purely decorative, when one takes into account that the blue pigment created by the grinding of lapis lazuli was considered the most valuable color of its time, it really puts into perspective the power of this stone.

Healing Emotions and Relieving Stress

This stone is believed to help people achieve inner peace by aiding them in letting go of stress and anxiety. Individuals facing tough situations often seek the help of Lapis Lazuli to attain clarity of mind, work their way through challenging feelings, and boost their self-assuredness.

Spiritual Enlightenment and Intuition

Lapis lazuli is intimately linked with the third-eye chakra, which presides over intuition and spiritual perception. Those wishing to establish a more profound bond with their higher selves or to amplify the potency of their meditative state will oftentimes utilize this gemstone to help elevate their consciousness to a level well above ordinary.

Physical Healing and Well-Being

Lapis Lazuli is believed to provide holistic support to the immune system, alleviate headaches, and reduce inflammation. Some even connect this deep blue stone with throat and respiratory issues thanks to its supposed link with the throat chakra.

Healing Benefits of Lapis Lazuli

Types of Lapis Lazuli Stone

Quality and composition vary in lapis lazuli, which affects its looks, driving force, and worth. While all real lapis has lazurite, extra minerals such as pyrite and calcite produce unique and different effects.

High-Grade Lapis Lazuli (Royal Blue Lapis)

This type of lapis lazuli has a deep, uniform ultramarine blue with almost no calcite and evenly distributed golden pyrite specks. Afghanistan is the main source, and people prize it for its use in jewelry, amulets, and even as a pigment for painting.

Mid-Grade Lapis Lazuli

This type is desirable but less expensive than royal blue varieties. With visible white calcite streaks and just slightly paler blue hues, it’s still gorgeous! Decorative carvings and beaded jewelry frequently feature it in Chile and Russia.

Commercial-Grade Lapis Lazuli

This variety is lighter in color; it has noticeable patches of calcite and far fewer pyrite inclusions. It is more affordable and frequently enhanced by dyeing to bring out its blue tone. While still a real lapis, it isn’t as vibrant or as nicely hued as the higher-quality stones.

Tips to Cleanse Your Lapis Lazuli Stone

Lapis lazuli, like all resonance stones, takes in the vibrations of its environment. Vibrations are a form of energy, and energy stones resonate with the energies around them. Cleansing a stone’s resonance field keeps its energy pure and enhances the stone’s metaphysical performance. Stone performers say Cleansing Earth—sifted smudging sage—is a beneficial way to cleanse resonance stones like Lapis Lazuli. Earth changes the stone’s energy; when the stone’s vitality is pure, it performs better. Lapis lazuli is soft and relatively fragile, so common recommendations for resonance stones may do it harm.

Water Warning

Lapis lazuli has calcite in it, and that can dissolve in water, given enough time. So don’t soak it, because doing so for any length of time might not only significantly weaken the stone’s structure but also downright dim its shine.

Safe Cleansing Methods

• To clear stagnant energies from a stone, purify it with the smoke of sage or palo santo.
• Use a singing bowl or tuning fork to restore the balance of a stone without making physical contact.
• For a gentle recharge, place the stone under a full moon.
• To naturally cleanse and amplify a stone’s properties, rest it on selenite or clear quartz.

Lapis Lazuli Stone Meanings in Divination

For centuries, individuals and even societies have turned to lapis lazuli as a tool for seeing, for the intuitional, for the insightful—indeed, for the wisdom for which this ancient stone has been revered. In some cultures, this deep blue stone has been worn or carried as an amulet to ward off evil and negative forces. It has long been associated with the throat chakra, allowing one to communicate more clearly and receive messages more readily from the divine.

A Third Eye Activator

The third eye chakra, which is associated with gut feelings and perceptions beyond the physical realm, closely links with lapis. Many tarot readers and psychics link it with these types of seeing and use it to increase the types of clarity and inner knowing that they rely on during divination.

A Truth-Seeker’s Ally

The “Stone of Truth,” Lapis Lazuli, often named thus, is believed to foster deeper self-awareness and outright honesty. It accompanies the seeker very well when one is attempting to find answers through the work of meditation, dream, or oracle reading.

Historical Mysticism

Lapis was highly regarded by priests in ancient Egypt and by astrologers in Mesopotamia for its ability to connect man and the divine. Some modern-day practitioners keep a lapis stone close by when they interpret omens or signs.

Lapis Lazuli Stones and Angels

It is believed by many that lapis lazuli carries an angelic vibration, which makes it a favored stone for those who work with celestial beings or guardian angels.

Angel Communication

Lapis is believed to help individuals communicate more clearly with Archangel Michael, who is known as the angel of protection and truth, and Archangel Zadkiel, who is associated with wisdom and spiritual transformation.

Meditation and Prayer

Meditating with a lapis stone can heighten one’s spiritual awareness and lead to a divine connection. Some practitioners keep lapis stones near their pillows to facilitate receiving angelic messages in their dreams.

Sacred Symbolism

Throughout history, lapis has been regarded as a heavenly stone, worth revering for its beauty and for what it signifies. People have thought of it as being special, with a kind of divinity that made it perfect for use by people in a high station, like kings, priests, and sages. Those who worked with lapis, whether as lapidaries or as painters, probably revered the stone for its beauty and the way it seemed to shimmer with a kind of light that set it apart from other minerals.

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