There are only two deposits of this beautiful stone around the world; the most important one is in Chile and the other one is in Afghanistan.

CHILE
The Flor de los Andes mine is located 3.600 metres above sea level, in the heights of the mountain range near Ovalle. (Norte Chico)

This deposit was found in the mid-19th century and the discovery of an arrowhead shaped stone made of lapis lazuli in the surroundings of this place helped to discover in 1821 that this rock was probably known in the pre-Columbian America.

In the West, widespread use of this stone begun a century after its discovery, and made the world aware of an important issue both nationally and internationally that takes place in this part of the planet: Chile. Lapis lazuli was declared to be the National Stone of Chile on September 20th, 1984.

The Stone

Lapis lazuli is a gemstone that contains pyrite in the form of sparkling golden spots. Its quality is mainly based on the unique properties of this stone compared to other minerals. Its scarcity, together with the stability it has in time and the nobility of its colour, makes it a highly valued and requested stone.

The huge number of chemical elements of lapis lazuli explains why the very clear sky blue rock or intense evening sky blue rock cannot be easily found elsewhere in the world. These colours only exist in Chile and, therefore, it is the most interesting stone from a gemmological point of view and, of course, the most fascinating one for tourists and visitors in our country.