Lapis Lazuli

Lapis Lazuli (literally Stone of Heaven/Sky) is a material that has been precious for millennia. It is in the tombs of the pharaohs of Egypt and it is what gives the intense ultramarine blue of renaissance art. It is actually a composite mixture of several minerals. The main ones being Lazurite (it has to be at least 25% Lazurite to even qualify as Lapis, our quality standard, much more), Sodalite (a denim blue mineral), Calcite which gives lighter pale dappling and frequently a sprinkling of fool's gold, Pyrites. At one time worth more than its weight in gold, it is probably where the term Royal Blue originated.