The history of lapis lazuli begins in Badakhshan, a region on the border of modern Afghanistan and Tajikistan. It was there, about three thousand years ago, that people began mining these remarkable stones – deep blue, opaque, with a silky sheen, and some adorned with golden veins. The color of the extracted stone ranged from violet to greenish-blue. The mineral was found in marble blocks quarried in Badakhshan, which was the primary construction material of antiquity, used for building temples and palaces. The blue inclusions immediately caught people’s attention, and lapis lazuli was declared a great treasure. It was used for both the exterior and interior decoration of palace complexes and temples.
The appearance of the azure stone was considered a gift from the heavens to the East, and people began to revere it as a symbol of the supreme deity Tengri – the Sky.
Gradually, this incredible, vibrant stone gained unprecedented fame and popularity.
From Afghanistan, the stone traveled to Persia, then to Egypt, ancient Greece, and Rome, before finally reaching Europe.
In Central Asia and China, lapis lazuli became a symbol of royal power and, at the same time, of the sky that stretches above everyone, whether an emir, a warrior, or a peasant. In Egypt, it was believed that the stone was connected to Amun-Ra, the god of the pharaohs. Lapis lazuli artifacts have been found in the burial chambers of many pharaohs, including Tutankhamun. Furthermore, the Egyptians believed that the Heavenly Stone helped ensure fair justice, so judges wore a breastplate made of lapis lazuli engraved with the word “truth.”