Lapis

Primarily from the West Hindu Kush mountains of Afghanistan, this material also occurs in a lesser quality in the Coquimbo Province of Chile. Having a hardness of 5, lapis is composed of several minerals (often in very small quantities), including: augite, calcite, diopside, mica, hornblende and pyrite. Lapis was used in historic times for jewelry, making of burial ornaments, crushed for pigment, and even used to panel the interior walls of castles.

Said to give its user the courage and the fearless adventurous spirit needed to realize their dreams, by aiding one to break free from past situations that may be causing them problems today (clearing mental debris from one’s thought patterns). When mental processes touch the emotions, lapis helps the emotions to become understood. This connection between the emotions and the mind opens us to new possibilities and horizons, and enhances our potential. Lapis containing a lot of calcite can help to heal bones after surgery or emotional ordeals.