The Crystal and Mineral Vault

Welcome to our Crystal and Mineral Knowledge Hub, where science tradition and mindful practice come together. This space is dedicated to exploring the formation properties and cultural associations of crystals and minerals through Mineral Vault profiles and practical guides designed to encourage informed discovery and deeper understanding.

Go to our Mineral Guides for science based knowledge and the 'How to Guides' for spiritual practices.

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Lapis Lazuli: The Blue That Was Worth More Than Gold for Three Centuries

by Laura Konst

Lapis Lazuli is not a single mineral but a metamorphic rock, and for three centuries its ground powder was the most expensive blue pigment in European art, worth more than gold by weight and reserved for the robes of the Virgin Mary in the most important commissions of the Renaissance. This guide explores the three-mineral composition behind its colour and character, the contact metamorphism that forms it, the Afghan mines that have supplied the world for six thousand years, and what to look for when buying in a market where imitations are common.

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