Lapis LazuliSphereExtra Quality Nice dark blue with beautiful bands of gold Information: Handmade gemstone spheres make these one of a kind pieces of wearable, decorative or architectural art truly unique. The sphere as a shape is an ancient and universal symbol that represents unity, completeness, infinity - the whole universe. Weight range: 250g to 300g Category: Rock Chemical Formula: (Na,CA)8(AlSiO4)6(SO4,S,Cl)2 Colour: blue, green hue Class: Silicate Group: Isometric Formations: dodecahedral Lazurite crystals, usually massive as a rock (lapis lazuli) Lustre: dull, translucent to opaque Cleavage: none Varieties: Lazurite Brief Description: Lapis Lazuli is a rock typically composed of Lazurite, Calcite, Pyrite and Sodalite. Lazurite content is greater than 25% of Lapis Lazuli rock. Lazurite is a sodium calcium aluminium silicate sulphur sulphate mineral. Lazurite crystals are rare, but stunningly blue, often growing from a Calcite or Limestone matrix. Lapis Lazuli is characterised by a deep blue colour, with flecks of Pyrite; the less black or white streaks in the rock, the more valuable the stone. Lapis Lazuli is used in the jewellery trade, and is often carved into ornamental sculptures. Mythology: Lapis lazuli has been mined in Afghanistan and exported to the Mediterranean world and South Asia since the Neolithic age.Lapis lazuli beads have been found at Mehrgarh, a neolithic site near Quetta in Pakistan, on the ancient trade route between Afghanistan and the Indus Valley, dating to the 7^th millennium. Lapis was also used in ancient Mesopotamia by the Akkadians, Assyrians, and Babylonians for seals and jewelry. In the Mesopotamian poem, the Epic of Gilgamesh (17^th-18^th Century BC); one of the oldest known works of literature; lapis lazuli is mentioned several times. The Statue of Ebih-Il, a 3^rd millennium BC statue found in the ancient city-state of Mari in modern-day Syria, now in the Louvre, uses lapis lazuli inlays for the irises of the eyes. Usage: Lapis takes an excellent polish and can be made into jewelry, carvings, boxes, mosaics, ornaments, and vases. It was also ground and processed to m