CAN LAPIS LAZULI A SEMIPRECIOUS GEMSTONE BE SUBSTITUTE FOR BLUE SAPPHIRE

Lapis lazuli is a revered semi-precious gemstone known for its deep, intense blue hue, often flecked with golden pyrite inclusions that give it a celestial, starry appearance.

Primarily composed of the mineral lazurite, lapis lazuli’s distinct blue color can range from rich royal blue to a lighter denim shade, depending on its mineral composition.

Lapis lazuli, also known simply as “lapis,” is a blue metamorphic rock that has been used by people as a gemstone, sculpting material, pigment, and ornamental material for thousands of years. High quality lapis lazuli can be a costly gem but generally it’s a cheap semiprecious gemstone. The most desirable specimens have a rich, solid blue color and perhaps a few reflective pieces of gold pyrite.

Unlike most other gem materials, lapis lazuli is not a mineral. Instead, it is a rock composed of multiple minerals. The blue color of lapis lazuli is mainly derived from the presence of lazurite, a blue silicate mineral of the sodalite group.

Historically, lapis lazuli has been sourced from Afghanistan’s Badakhshan mines, which are among the oldest gemstone sources in the world, dating back over 6,000 years. Other notable deposits are found in Chile, Russia, Myanmar, and Pakistan.

Afghanistan is the world’s leading source of lapis lazuli. Some parts of the country have been actively mined for thousands of years. Afghan lapis is often regarded as the highest quality due to its rich color and minimal calcite content. The stone’s value is largely determined by color uniformity, with pure, deep blue specimens considered the most valuable.

Lapis lazuli is most widely known for its use as a gemstone. It is a popular material for cutting into cabochons and beads. It is also used in inlay or mosaic projects and often as a material for small sculptures. These uses made lapis the most popular opaque blue gemstone.

Although personal preferences vary, the most popular lapis has a uniform, deep blue to violet blue color.

Because of it dark violet blue color and as it is cheap, there are many people who recommend it as a substitute gemstone for blue sapphire.

But with my experience as an astrologer lapis lazuli CAN NOT BE A SUBSTITUTE GEMSTONE FOR BLUE SAPPHIRE. All that is blue color stone cannot give the results of blue sapphire.

The reasons is pretty simple and also scientific too. Every gemstone has there own chemical composition and also have their own crystalline structure. They have their own density, refractive index and gravity too. These qualities qualify it to represent a planet which is not there in other gemstones.

Today because of the high price of Blue Sapphire and not much people can afford to have it, Lapis Lazuli has come up in market and people recommend it to make quick money, but astrologically it is of no use if one suggest it as a substitute gemstone for blue sapphire. They are cheating with the knowledge of ratna jyotish shastra.

This semiprecious gemstone can be used in ornamental jewelry and it do have beautiful appearance because of its vibrant colour.