Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v1.c23.3

v1.c23.3

Blue lapis lazuli is a complex aggregate of four rock-forming minerals of feldspathoid group — hauynite, sodalite, noselite and lazurite. It has been adored for its dark blue colour in most ancient civilizations. The original Sanskrit name rājāvarta was converted to lazward in Persian and then to ‘lapis lazuli’. Sometimes the names veluriya (sapphire), asitopala (aquamarine) have also been used to denote the minerals. It is commonly agreed that the well-known mines of Afghanistan were the likely sources of lapis lazuli in the ancient period. (Herrmann, 1968; Chakraborti, 1978) A group of four mines is situated in the Kerano Munjan Valley of Badakshan Province of which Sar-i-Sang is still in use today.