Fluorescent sodalite with lazurite 68g

A substantial rough specimen showing vivid patches of deep blue against a pale cream-white sodalite matrix. The blue areas are intense and range from dark navy in the concentrated zones to a brighter cerulean toward the edges, contrasting strongly with the pale host rock. Rust-orange iron staining across parts of the surface adds natural color variety. The specimen has an irregular sculpted form with rough surfaces throughout.

The deep blue patches are lazurite, the same mineral responsible for the color of lapis lazuli, crystallizing here within a sodalite host rock from Badakhshan, Afghanistan's Sar-e-Sang deposit, one of the world's most historically significant mineral localities. Lazurite, sodalite, white calcite, and iron-bearing minerals form the characteristic mineral assemblage of this deposit, and specimens like this show the raw material in its natural unpolished state. The sodalite and associated minerals fluoresce orange under longwave UV (365nm).

• Stone type: Natural sodalite with lazurite
• Weight: 68g
• Size: 51x40x29mm
• Color: White, deep blue
• Fluorescence: Orange (365nm)
• Cut: Rough
• Clarity: Opaque
• Treatment: Untreated
• Origin: Afghanistan

Natural sodalite with lazurite, Badakhshan Afghanistan, sold loose.