Mineral · Sodalite group
Lazurite
Na7Ca(Al6Si6O24)(SO4)(S3)·H2O
Lazurite is the blue mineral of lapis lazuli, the rock of lazurite, calcite and pyrite mined for six thousand years at Sar-e-Sang, Afghanistan, and also from Chile and Lake Baikal. Dodecahedral lazurite crystals in white marble from Afghanistan are rare and expensive; lapis is cheap as tumbled stone and cabochons. Genuine lapis shows pyrite flecks and white calcite.
| Formula | Na7Ca(Al6Si6O24)(SO4)(S3)·H2O |
|---|---|
| IMA status | approved |
| Crystal system | Cubic |
| Mohs hardness | 5–5.5 |
| Group | Sodalite group |
| Type locality | Sar-e-Sang, Badakhshan, Afghanistan |
| Streak | Light blue |
| Specific gravity | 2.4 |
| Reference list | IMA List of Minerals (RRUFF) — verify formula and status against the current list |
Fakes and treatments
Dyed jasper ('Swiss lapis'), dyed howlite, reconstituted lapis and Gilson synthetic are all sold as lapis; acetone on a cotton bud lifts dye. Afghanistan's export laws and conflict sourcing are a further concern.
Elsewhere
Cite this article
Stratum Study. "Lazurite" (Mineral). Stratum Study pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-19. https://stratum.black/study/minerals/lazurite. Accessed 2026-09-20.
@misc{stratum-lazurite,
title = {Lazurite},
author = {{Stratum Study}},
howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/study/minerals/lazurite}},
year = {2026},
note = {Mineral article, Stratum Study pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-19; sources: stratum, wikidata, commons. Accessed 2026-09-20.}
} Citations carry the pack version and the article's as-of date so they resolve to the same text later. The facts themselves belong to the sources listed below; cite those for the science.