Lapis lazuli, whose English name comes from the Latin word Lapis (gemstone) and the Persian dialect Lazuli (blue) in Badakhshan, Afghanistan , is one of the oldest gemstones, with a history of use dating back 6,000 years. In ancient China, it was called Lin, Jinjing, Lanchi, Bi Liuli, etc. In Buddhism, it was called Liuli or Vinuli . It is one of the witnesses of the cultural exchange between the ancient East and the West. Lapis lazuli is a polycrystalline aggregate with a complex mineral composition. It has a dense blocky and granular structure. The main mineral component is lapis lazuli, and the common co-existing (associated) minerals are calcite, pyrite, diopside, wollastonite, blue slate, sodalite, cancrinite, mica and amphibole. The colors of lapis lazuli are mostly dark blue, purple blue, sky blue, green blue, etc. Because its color is like the sky, ancient my country regarded lapis lazuli as a symbol of the majesty of heaven and was highly valued by emperors of all dynasties. Lapis lazuli is also one of the main sources of natural blue mineral pigments.

Lapis lazuli is best selected if it has uniform color and no cracks, fine texture and no gold spots, and no white gold sprinkled on the surface. Gold sprinkled on the surface means that gold spots are evenly distributed. If the pyrite content is low, the absence of gold spots on the surface does not affect the quality.

Lapis lazuli, along with turquoise and zircon, is the birthstone for December.