Lazurite, Sar-e-Sang, Badakshan, Afghanistan

Fellow Canadian Rob Woodside co-authored the definitive article on this historically significant, and extremely inaccessible, locality in Afghanistan (see Mineralogical Record May-June 2014, Vol 45, No 3). Lapis from this deposit was extracted and distributed to the pharaohs of ancient Egypt, and today the deposit occasionally yields a tremendous suite of unique minerals and crystals. Here we are offering a large lazurite crystal still embedded in marble. The striking deep blue colour nicely contracts with the white of the matrix making for a showy specimen. Formerly in the collection of fellow Calgarian Tom Collins. From Sar-e-Sang, Badakshan, Afghanistan. Dimensions: 3 cm x 4.5 cm, Crystal's maximum dimension is 2.5 cm