Tips on how to identify genuine Lapis Lazuli gemstone

Lapis lazuli has been sought after and used in jewellery for thousands of years. It’s rich blue colour, along with those sparkling flecks of fools gold iron pyrites make it truly irresistible! Unfortunately, lapis lazuli has also become one of the most faked gemstones in the world. It’s not easy to tell the difference between fake lazuli and the real gemstone. Many cheap minerals and gemstones (such as poor quality jasper, white howlite, spinel, sodalite or calcite) can be dyed to imitate it, while glass and plastic can been used to copy lapis lazuli too. Here are some quick tips to hopefully help you spot genuine good quality lapis Lazuli (and avoid the fakes)

Although these synthetics are modern inventions, lapis lazuli simulants or imitations go back at least as far as Ancient Egyptian times. Archeologists have discovered artifacts with glass backed with blue paint and blue ceramic materials in lieu of the natural stone. Even the celebrated death mask of King Tutankhamun (1332–1323 BCE), which includes real lapis lazuli inlay for the eyes, has blue-painted glass bands in the nemes or headdress. These imitations are a testament to the ancient demand for lapis.

The original locality for Lapis lazuli is the Sar-e-Sang deposit in Afghanistan’s remote Badakhshan district. In the Achaemenid period, azure was called “Kabutkeh”. In the Sassanid period, azure was consumed a lot. The roof of Ctesiphon, as well as various sculptures, is made of azure; it is possible that they used azurite instead of azure in making these works.

Beauty has always been envied — especially rare beauties like the Lapis Lazuli stone. An exquisite ultra blue rock that has been around for thousands of years. For much of its existence, the Lapis stone has been known to give off an aura of wisdom and been linked with psychic energies. That is why it has been cherished and held dear as jewelry by traditions of the past.