Lapis is a gemstone straight out of fairy tales of the Arabian Nights: deepest blue with golden shining Pyrite inclusions which twinkle like little stars. Lapis is a gemstone straight out of fairy tales of the Arabian Nights: deepest blue with golden shining Pyrite inclusions which twinkle like little stars.  Many a cutter will make a face when cutting Lapis lazuli, because as soon as the stone comes into contact with the cutting wheel, it will emanate a typical, slightly foul smell. An experienced cutter will thus recognize from the smell alone the satiation of color shown by the stone. When polishing the stone it must be treated gently and without too much pressure due to its low hardness. But no need to worry: a Lapis lazuli which has dulled because of having been worn too often may be easily polished up. Lapis lazuli is often surface sealed with colorless wax or synthetic resin. As long as no color is added during this procedure, the sealing only serves to improve the resistance of the stone against wearing. Still, it should definitely be protected from contact with acid substances or from extravagant exposure to sunlight. Just like over 50,000 years ago, the best rough stones are still mined in the rough Hindukush Mountains of Afghanistan. Forcefully extracted from the rocks, the blue stone nodes are transported on donkeys from the rough mountain ranges in Northeast Afghanistan down to the valleys in the summer months. Other occurrences have been provided by Nature in Russia, west of Lake Baikal, and in the Andes in Chile, where the blue stones are often veined with white or grey chalk. Lapis lazuli is also found in smaller amounts in Italy, Mongolia, the USA and Canada, in Myanmar and in Pakistan.