Discover the history and properties of lapis lazuli, a stunning blue rock prized for its color and gemstone uses.

Afghanistan is a country with high mineral wealth, boasting reserves of topaz, rubies and emeralds, amongst others. The oldest, and probably best known, gemstone mined there however, is lapis ...

Modern Mining and Usage of Lapis Lazuli Lapis lazuli continues to be mined in Afghanistan's Badakhshan region, where extraction remains challenging despite advances in mining techniques.