WHAT SECRETS DOES LAPIS LAZULI HOLD?
NOT JUST ANY ROCK
Lapis lazuli is not a single mineral.
It is a rock composed mainly of lazurite, calcite, and pyrite.
Its blue is no coincidence
Its small golden reflections are pyrite inclusions.
Calcite, on the other hand, appears as white veins or areas.
From Lapis Lazuli to Ultramarine Pigment
During the Renaissance, natural ultramarine could be worth as much as gold and was reserved for highly prestigious commissions, especially for depicting the Virgin Mary's mantle.
Why was it so expensive?
Because it wasn't the stone that was truly costly, but the enormous amount of work required to obtain a few grams of the purest pigment