8mm Faceted Magic Cube Gemstone Bead - Lapis Lazuli (strand)

The name Lapis Lazuli comes from the Latin word for "stone" (lapis) and the Arabian word for "blue" (azul). True to their name, these semiprecious beads offer naturally blue shades with inclusions that twinkle like stars in the tales of the Arabian Nights. One of only a few rocks used as a semiprecious gemstone, lapis lazuli contains grains of several blue minerals, including lazurite and sodalite. This opaque stone is distinctively fluorescent, and contains a matrix of calcite and speckles of pyrite. Lapis lazuli was one of the first gemstones to be used in jewelry. Lapis lazuli was one of the first gemstones ever to be worn as jewelry (a busy lapis trade is thought to have existed as early as 4000 B.C.). Lapis lazuli is considered a stone of truth and friendship, and has been a popular birthstone for Libra and September birthdates throughout the centuries. It is believed to bring harmony to relationships, cleanse the mental body, and release old karmic patterns.

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