Lapis lazuli is the darkest blue we sell, and the only one with gold in it. Where turquoise is a soft, opaque sky blue, lapis is a dense midnight blue shot through with tiny brassy flecks of pyrite and, usually, some white calcite. Those gold flecks are natural and are part of the appeal — the stone has been mined and prized for thousands of years, most famously from the mountains of Badakhshan in Afghanistan, which is still the source of the best material.
In Southwest work lapis is used the way a jeweller uses a dark sapphire: as the deep note in an inlay run, or as a single strong cabochon where turquoise would read too soft. It sits particularly well against 14K gold, and against the flash of opal in channel inlay.
How to judge it: the prize is an even, saturated royal blue. Heavy white calcite veining lowers the value, though a little is normal and honest; scattered pyrite is generally considered a plus rather than a flaw. Beware anything with a suspiciously uniform, flat, almost navy-blue tone and no pyrite at all — low-grade lapis is routinely dyed to deepen the colour, and dye can rub off on a cloth. If you want to know about a particular piece, ask us about that piece.
Lapis is a softer stone than quartz, so it wants a little care: keep it out of ultrasonic cleaners and away from harsh chemicals, and wipe it with a soft dry cloth.
We stock more than 270 lapis pieces, handmade with natural stones in sterling silver and gold. See also black onyx for the other dark stone in the case, the full turquoise collection, and the Turquoise Guide. Family owned in Old Town Scottsdale since 1979; free US shipping over $99.