Lapis lazuli
Lapis lazuli
Lapis lazuli is a rock rather than a single mineral: deep blue lazurite, often with white calcite and gold-coloured pyrite flecks. It has been used in jewellery for thousands of years.
Lapis lazuli
At a glance
- Mineral
- A rock: lazurite with calcite and pyrite
- Refractive index
- 1.50
- Dispersion (C–F)
- —
- Specific gravity
- 2.80
- Mohs hardness
- 5–5.5
- Wear
- Fairly soft: signet tablets, pendants and earrings; protect it in rings.
Lapis lazuli in Jart
The look in the studio's material library, with the values the renderer uses.
| Stone | Colour | RI | Dispersion C–F | Abbe | SG | Colour depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lapis lazuli | #1d3b9a | 1.50 | — | — | 2.80 | opaque |
RI refractive index (nd). Dispersion C–F nF − nC, the spread between blue and red light; many gem tables quote the B–G figure instead (diamond 0.044, here 0.025). Abbe number: lower means more fire. SG specific gravity, used for carat estimates in Design Facts. Colour depth the path through the stone after which white light takes the stone's full colour; shorter paths look paler.
How it renders
With a refractive index of 1.50, a polished lapis lazuli facet reflects 4.0% of light that meets it face-on (diamond: 17.2%). Light inside the stone that meets a facet more than 41.8° from straight on cannot leave and is reflected back in; the smaller that angle, the more light a good cut returns to the eye (diamond 24.4°, quartz 40.4°).
It is opaque: light reflects from its surface and does not travel through it, so it shows no fire, and its look comes from its colour, its polish and what the lighting reflects.
Jart renders it as an even, opaque deep blue with a polished surface; gold next to it echoes the pyrite.
Related stones
All gemstones · Metals · Stone and metal pairings · Finishes
Render lapis lazuli on your own design.
Open a 3DM, STL or GLB file, or a sample ring, choose the stone and the metal, and render it photoreal in your browser. No account needed.