15 Lazulite Cabochons. Graves Mountain, Lincoln Co., Georgia, USA. 9 mm x 7 mm. 27 ct. total weight.
An interesting stone for a jewelry project, lazulite is a very rare magnesium phosphate, and Graves Mountain is the premier locality for the opaque bi-pyramidal twinned crystals, and the only occurrence where the crystals are large enough to cut into gemstones. The deposit no longer produces the larger crystals, but the matrix material is still occasionally found.
These are all cut from single crystals found back in the 1990’s, and vary from denim blue to midnight blue.
Lazulite is sometimes confused with 2 better known and more common minerals: lazurite and azurite.
Lazulite vs. Lazurite/Lapis Lazuli
Of a similar color, lazulite is sometimes confused with lapis lazuli, which is a rock used for lapidary purposes, and that contains the minerals lazurite and Haüyne.
Lazulite is exceeding rare compared to lapis lazuli, and is only found in crystals large enough for cabochons at the famous Graves Mountain, Lincoln Co., Georgia, USA locality. The specific area of the old mine these were collected in is now under around 10m of waste rock, as part of reclamation and remediation work.
Lapis Lazuli- https://www.gemdat.org/gem-2330.html
Lazulite- https://www.gemdat.org/gem-2356.html
Mohs Hardness 5.5
Specific Gravity 3.04 to 3.17
LC020
An interesting stone for a jewelry project, lazulite is a very rare magnesium phosphate, and Graves Mountain is the premier locality for the opaque bi-pyramidal twinned crystals, and the only occurrence where the crystals are large enough to cut into gemstones. The deposit no longer produces the larger crystals, but the matrix material is still occasionally found.
These are all cut from single crystals found back in the 1990’s, and vary from denim blue to midnight blue.
Lazulite is sometimes confused with 2 better known and more common minerals: lazurite and azurite.
Lazulite vs. Lazurite/Lapis Lazuli
Of a similar color, lazulite is sometimes confused with lapis lazuli, which is a rock used for lapidary purposes, and that contains the minerals lazurite and Haüyne.
Lazulite is exceeding rare compared to lapis lazuli, and is only found in crystals large enough for cabochons at the famous Graves Mountain, Lincoln Co., Georgia, USA locality. The specific area of the old mine these were collected in is now under around 10m of waste rock, as part of reclamation and remediation work.
Lapis Lazuli- https://www.gemdat.org/gem-2330.html
Lazulite- https://www.gemdat.org/gem-2356.html
Mohs Hardness 5.5
Specific Gravity 3.04 to 3.17
LC020
An interesting stone for a jewelry project, lazulite is a very rare magnesium phosphate, and Graves Mountain is the premier locality for the opaque bi-pyramidal twinned crystals, and the only occurrence where the crystals are large enough to cut into gemstones. The deposit no longer produces the larger crystals, but the matrix material is still occasionally found.
These are all cut from single crystals found back in the 1990’s, and vary from denim blue to midnight blue.
Lazulite is sometimes confused with 2 better known and more common minerals: lazurite and azurite.
Lazulite vs. Lazurite/Lapis Lazuli
Of a similar color, lazulite is sometimes confused with lapis lazuli, which is a rock used for lapidary purposes, and that contains the minerals lazurite and Haüyne.
Lazulite is exceeding rare compared to lapis lazuli, and is only found in crystals large enough for cabochons at the famous Graves Mountain, Lincoln Co., Georgia, USA locality. The specific area of the old mine these were collected in is now under around 10m of waste rock, as part of reclamation and remediation work.
Lapis Lazuli- https://www.gemdat.org/gem-2330.html
Lazulite- https://www.gemdat.org/gem-2356.html
Mohs Hardness 5.5
Specific Gravity 3.04 to 3.17
LC020