Lapis lazuli slab — Sar-e-Sang, 103 g

Description

This is a pocket-sized slab of lapis lazuli showing a rich, deep blue ground with pale calcite veining and scattered pyrite-like flecks. The piece has been worked with polished faces that reveal the internal texture and contrast between the blue host and lighter veins. Measuring 5.0 × 3.4 × 1.5 cm and weighing 103 g, the slab is a compact, solid slice of material from Sar-e-Sang in Badakhshan province. The polish makes the colour and the metallic flecking clearer to the eye while the pale veins traverse the surface in irregular patterns. Lapis lazuli is a rock dominated by the blue mineral lazurite and commonly contains calcite and sulphide minerals as visible components. Sar-e-Sang is a well-known source for lapis material from this region; the specimen displays the typical interplay of deep blue, pale veining and metallic flecking associated with such material.