Why was lapis lazuli regarded as a gem in ancient times?

Lapis lazuli is loved by emperors of past dynasties because of its brilliant hue. According to "A Textual Research on the Canon of the Qing Dynasty", "The emperor used pearls for miscellaneous decorations, only lapis lazuli for the Temple of Heaven, amber for the Ditan, coral for the Ritan and turquoise for the Moon Altar; Emperor Chao Dai, decorated with lapis lazuli for the Temple of Heaven, topaz for the altar, coral for the altar and white jade for the moon altar ". Jade color is used to symbolize the sky, the earth, the sun and the moon, among which the sky is the highest.

Because lapis lazuli jade is "like the sky", it is especially valued regardless of whether lapis lazuli is facing the pearl or the belt, and the top hat of the four officials in Qing Dynasty is lapis lazuli.

turquoise is a kind of jade with a long history, which has a profound cultural background. Turquoise is the body color of the pharmacist Buddha, and Buddhists believe that wearing it often can protect peace and health, and there is no disease or disaster. In ancient Greece and Rome, wearing green gold was considered as a sign of wealth.

Blue is the primary color of green gold. In China, blue is a color of hope. It not only has a poetic dream, but also is a symbol of peace, auspiciousness and kindness, so there are many auspicious carvings. "Shiya" says: "Blue and gold are like the sky, or the gold scraps are scattered and brilliant, if the stars are beautiful in the sky."

Lapis lazuli can help hypnosis and deep meditation, enhance observation insight and enhance spirituality (Buddhist saying). It can arouse people's noble, fresh, gentle and elegant temperament and sentiment. Wearing lapis lazuli while driving can stabilize the mood and eliminate the irritability caused by chaos. Children can wear lapis lazuli to ensure peace, health and promote development.

Gem tincture made of lapis lazuli can eliminate people's emotional bondage to the greatest extent (ancient Europe). Lapis lazuli can relieve people's pain, especially migraine; Overcome depression; Beneficial to respiratory and nervous system, immune system, throat and thyroid; Can purify organs, bone marrow, thymus and blood; It can also treat deafness, eliminate insomnia and dizziness, and lower blood pressure.

azurite is developed into powder, which can be used as a pigment by painters: the blue color in the murals of Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes in China is mainly made of azurite.

lapis lazuli was called Yulin, Jinjing, Jinyu and Indigo Naturalis in ancient China. It is one of the witnesses of ancient cultural exchanges between the East and the West. According to the data, lapis lazuli was introduced into China from Afghanistan through the Silk Road. It is usually produced as an aggregate, showing a dense block and granular structure. The colors are dark blue, purple blue, sky blue, green blue and so on. Lapis lazuli is also the main raw material of natural blue pigment

Lapis lazuli is a traditional jade material imported from China since ancient times, and most of it comes from Afghanistan. So far, lapis lazuli has not been found in China.