ID of Lapis lazuli or Lazurite

Hi

I am wondering if someone kindly can help with my confusion.

Recently, I have discovered a vintage, (but very possibly antique) silver ring set with a small Lapis Lazuli cabochon (and small golden leaves). The stone is without any gold specks, but I have ruled out it being Sodalite it’s without any whiteness. Under the magnifying glass the stone appears darker in some areas, and overall its deep blue and matte.

As the stone is small (but not tiny) it’s the size of a green pea. I am struggling with its ID, as, am I right in thinking that the golden glints are more apparent in slightly larger cabochons....?

Then researching, I have stumbled across the following quote by the hermit:

And I’m lost, I would be so grateful for your advice!

PS. Does one need a membership to post pictures here?


Thank you

You can have an unpolished, raw piece of lazurite with or without pyrite or calcite imbedded particles that a few will call lapis lazuli. But if you polish it, especially if you make jewelry out of it, then the jeweler and other commercial sales folk will almost always call it lapis lazuli.

Thus you can have a lazurite that isn't lapis lazuli, but you can't have a lapis lazuli that isn't lazurite.

Click to expand...

PPS. Happy New Year to all!!!!!!

Lazurite is the important mineral in lapis lazuli, a gemstone prized since ancient times. Lapis lazuli generally consists of lazurite and calcite, although bits of other minerals like pyrite and sodalite may be present as well.
This might article might be of help to you:
http://www.gemsociety.org/info/gems/Lapis.htm