HouseofKnobs: Gado Gado - Lapis Lazuli Collection

Gado Gado - Lapis Lazuli Collection

What is lapis lazuli?

Lapis Lazuli is a semi-precious stone composed of at least 14 different minerals, including lazurite, which gives its characteristic blue color; wollastonite and calcite, which are responsible for the streaks of grey and white; and pyrite, which gives it its golden highlights. There are only two countries in the world with significant lapis lazuli deposits--Afghanistan and Chile.

History and Meaning

For over 5000 years and many civilizations, the intense and exclusive blue color of lapis lazuli has been a symbol for purity, health, elegance, nobility and luck. The Sumerians and Babylonians reserved lapis lazuli mined in Afghanistan for their most valuable jewels. The Greeks attributed healing properties to lapis. Egyptian Pharaohs used it to adorn their thrones and golden crowns, and Cleopatra used lapis lazuli dust as the first eye make-up. During the European Renaissance, several renowned painters including Leonardo da Vinci and Fra Angelico used lapis lazuli powder as a fade-resistant blue pigment. Per kilogram, this lapis lazuli powder was worth more than gold...

In the Americas, for over 2000 years various pre-Columbian cultures have used lapis lazuli to ornament jewelry and artifacts, extracting the stone from a deposit located at 12,000 feet elevation located in the Andes mountain range of Chile.