Lapis dealers in the Namak Mandi (salt bazzar) Peshawar |
Those royal blue stones called Lapis Lazuli have been around for eons. Three parts make up the Lapis stones, Calcite (white), Sodalite (blue), and Pyrite (yellow). Nearly all of the world's lapis comes from Badakhshan, Afghanistan close to the Kokcha River valley. The only way to reach these precious rocks is via camel, donkey, or mules. Small amounts of lapis are mined, which is of inferior quality than that of Afghanistan, in places like Chile, Zambia, and Siberia. Prices range from $2.25lb to $6150lb.
Smithsonian Institution / National Museum, Riyadh |
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