Lapis Lazuli Crystal on Feldspar — Afghan Specimen Lapis Lazuli Sphere visible across the free-form clusters

visible across the free-form clusters here

and it sits comfortably in a cupped hand for longer meditation where a small stone would disappear

meant to be seen and appreciated as an ornament rather than carried

so a shaded shelf or a spot away from the window keeps it looking its best

and this one is not

Lapis Lazuli Crystal on Feldspar — Afghan Specimen Lapis Lazuli Sphere visible across the free-form clustersThis Lapis Lazuli specimen shows a naturally terminated crystal sitting directly on its feldspar matrix, a more unusual and geologically interesting form than the polished spheres and eggs lapis is usually shaped into. It comes from Badakhshan, Afghanistan, the region that has supplied the world's finest lapis for thousands of years. So what makes a matrix specimen different from a cut stone? It shows lapis exactly as it grew underground, still