Lapis Lazuli. 205
discovered
an artificial substitute, possessing exactly the same constituents and
almost the same colour, which can be sold for a three-hundredth part of
the price of the genuine ultramarine. This stone was well known in
ancient times, and was, doubtless, the sapphire of the Greeks and
Romans.
Pliny says :—' In
sapphiris aurum punctis collucet coerulis; similis est coelo sereno,
propter aurea puncta stellis ornato :'—which may be translated ' In
the blue sapphire shine golden specks; it is like a serene sky adorned
with stars, on account of the golden points.' In China and India this
stone is carved into cups, vases, dagger-handles, etc. Many fine
specimens still exist in the old Italian and Spanish churches, in
slabs, pillars, and various adornments to the altars and shrines; also
as panels, on which the pictures of saints, etc., have been painted. In
the Russian palace of Zarskoe-Selo there is a room, made by order of
Catherine II., the walls of which are entirely covered with slabs of
lapis and amber. At the present day it is much used in decorative
furniture and mosaic work.
In ancient times lapis was used in medicine as a purge. The Arabic name is Azul, meaning blue, whence probably is derived the name lazuli.
The
value of the finest lapis—of a deep blue, not too dark, without any
admixture of white or golden specks—varies from 10s. to 50s. per ounce,
according to the size of the piece. Formerly, when used for the
manufacture of ultramarine, it was worth much more.
