Lapis lazuli a blue metamorphic rock that's been mined in Afghanistan for thousands of years.
The name which comes from Persian and Arabic means "stone from the sky" or "stone from heaven".
This popular material can only be found in small number of locations worldwide.
Throughout history lapis lazuli has been mistaken for sapphire. This is because in the ancient world it was known as "sapphirus".
The golden specs of pyrite in lapis lazuli are inclusions within the mineral lazurite.
Lapis lazuli has been found in abundance in ancient Egyptian tombs. It was also used in the iconic funerary mask of boy king Tutankhamun.
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