Description
This hanko is made of lapis lazuli, a beautiful marbled blue gemstone known in Japanese as Ruri (瑠璃). This semiprecious stone is a metamorphic rock mostly from Central Asia, and Afghanistan in particular. Lapis Lazuli has been prized throughout the centuries for its vivid coloring, and the oldest mines date back over 6,000 years. When it was imported to Europe during the renaissance, lapis lazuli was ground into a powder used to make the pigment ultramarine, which was often reserved for important subjects such as the blue cloak of the Virgin Mary. Many biblical references to “sapphire” actually refer to lapis lazuli, which is often described as the “sapphire flecked with gold.” These references predate the common knowledge of the precious gem known as sapphire, so it’s almost certain that these texts are referring to lapis lazuli.





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