Lapis Lazuli
Lazurite (Lapis Lazuli) is one of the understood users regarding the Feldspathoid group of minerals that includes Cancrinite, Haüyne, Lazurite, Leucite, Nepheline and Sodalite. Minerals with chemistries that are close to those regarding the feldspars that are alkalai but are poor in silica (SiO2) content, are known as Feldspathoids. Lazurite is additionally a member of the team that is sodalite of that includes Hackmanite, Haüyne and Tugtupite. Lazurite could be considered a sulphur kind that is rich of. Lazurite crystals are seldom discovered however. It is additionally found along with other minerals as a stone called Lapis Lazuli, or just Lapis. Lazurite and Lapis are a couple of items that are separate Lazurite is a mineral and Lapis Lazuli is a stone composed of many different minerals; but we are grouping them together on this web page since they are so closely related. Lapis contains mostly massive forms of Lazurite combined with Haüyne, Sodalite, Nosean, (all members regarding the team that is sodalite of) and white Calcite, Pyrite, as well as other minerals. The Calcite and Pyrite give Lapis an extremely appearance that is appealing the existence of Pyrite distinguises Lapis from its blue cousin – Sodalite rock, which lacks Pyrite.
The name Lazurite is frequently confused with another mineral that is blue the phosphate mineral Lazulite. Although the names are similar, their practice that is crystal is various. Lazurite is very hardly ever found as distinct crystals and Luzulite has good crystal habit and luster that is vitreous. The mineral that is carbonate has a tremendously similar color to Lazurite but is associated with the green carbonate mineral Malachite and responds to acids.
Lapis Lazuli is mined for years and years from a source still in use today in the mountain that is remote of Kokcha, Afghanistan. Although there are some other sources of Lapis worldwide, Afghanistan still produces the quality material that is finest.
| Crystallography: | Isometric – Hextetrahedral |
| Crystal Habit: | In dodecahedra, or more rarely cubes, up to 5 cm; granular, disseminated, or massive. |
| Twinning: | None |
| Cleavage: | [110] Imperfect |
| Fracture: | Irregular, Uneven |
| Tenacity: | Brittle |
| Moh’s Hardness: | 5.5 |
| Density: | 2.38 – 2.42 (g/cm3) |
| Luminescence: | Fluorescent |
| Radioactivity: | Not Radioactive |
| Color: | Blue, Azure blue, Violet blue, Greenish blue |
| Transparency: | Translucent, Opaque |
| Luster: | Vitreous to Dull |
| Refractive Index: | 1.50 – 1.522 Isotropic |
| Birefringence: | 0.00 (Isotropic) |
| Dispersion: | 0.014 (low) |
| Pleochroism: | Distinct; purplish-red – orange-red |
| Anisotropism: | Anomalous |
