Lapis Lazuli is a deep blue color semiprecious crystal gemstone. The name Lapis derived from both Latin and Arabic where Lapis means stone in Latin and Azula, Blue in Arabic. A type of limestone, the mineral hardness of this gem is 5 to 5.5 Mohs, in general. Though described as Royal, midnight, or marine blue or indigo, in reality, the color of this stone can be best described as violet-ish to greenish-blue. Some of the prized forms have golden-colored flecks on them, but there is no visible calcite. This crystal is mainly sourced from the mines in Afghanistan. This gem was highly treasured in Ancient China, Rome, Mesopotamia, and Egypt.