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Lapis lazuli (UK: / ˌ l æ p ɪ s ˈ l æ z (j) ʊ l i, ˈ l æ ʒ ʊ-,-ˌ l i /; US: / ˈ l æ z (j) ə l i, ˈ l æ ʒ ə-,-ˌ l i /), or lapis for short, is a deep-blue metamorphic rock used as a semi-precious stone that has been prized since antiquity for its intense color.
It was produced from lapis lazuli, a mineral whose major source was the mines of Sar-e-Sang in what is now northeastern Afghanistan. [1] It was transformed into a pigment by the Afghans beginning in about the 5th century, and exported by caravans to India. It was the most expensive blue used by Renaissance artists.
The more it was ground, the lighter the blue colour became. Natural ultramarine, made by grinding lapis lazuli into a fine powder, was the finest available blue pigment in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. It was extremely expensive, and in Italian Renaissance art, it was often reserved for the robes of the Virgin Mary.
Lazurite is a pigment (opalescent) and has a bright blue streak (especially as a component of the semiprecious stone lapis lazuli). Many hauynes have a white or pale blue streak and are translucent. Many hauynes have a white or pale blue streak and are translucent.
This is an accepted version of this page This is the latest accepted revision, reviewed on 27 December 2024. Variety of the color blue For other uses, see Shades of Blue (disambiguation). "Shade of Blue" redirects here. For the song by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, see Shade of Blue (song). For the R&B/funk band, see Shade of Blue (band). Blue Wavelength 440–490 nm Common connotations ...
The Greek term for sapphire quite likely was instead used to refer to lapis lazuli. [72] During the Medieval Ages, European lapidaries came to refer to blue corundum crystal by "sapphire", a derivative of the Latin word for blue: sapphirus. [74] The sapphire is the traditional gift for a 45th wedding anniversary. [75]
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Ultramarine is a deep blue color pigment which was originally made by grinding lapis lazuli into a powder. [2] Its lengthy grinding and washing process makes the natural pigment quite valuable—roughly ten times more expensive than the stone it comes from and as expensive as gold.