Chapter 2: 10. Traveling the World of Stones - What the Night Sky Teaches Us About Our True Selves: Lapis Lazuli Edition
Lapis Lazuli, a stone that captures the night sky
Every natural stone has its own unique beauty.
The transparency of quartz.
The gentle cherry-blossom pink of rose quartz.
Larimar, which evokes the ocean.
Among them, there is one stone I have held special feelings for since long ago.
Lapis Lazuli.
A blue so deep it feels like you could be drawn into it.
Tiny golden specks shining within that blue.
That is a mineral called "pyrite," but to me, it has always looked like stars twinkling in the night sky.
Just gazing at it calms my heart, and I feel as if I am staring into the vast, endless universe.
When I used to make bracelets, I would sometimes use large Lapis Lazuli beads as the main stone.
The higher the quality of a large Lapis Lazuli bead, the rarer it is, and even a single bead has an overwhelming presence.
Quiet, yet powerful.
Not flashy, yet it catches the eye.
I have had my heart stolen by the charm of Lapis Lazuli many times.
In my parents' home, there is a large piece of raw Lapis Lazuli carved with a dragon on display.
Every time I visit, I gaze at that majestic, deep blue and feel, "Lapis really is special."
Stones have their own individuality, too.
And perhaps people have their own individuality in the same way.
Through natural stones, I am always thinking about things like that.
Today is a journey into that abyss of Lapis Lazuli.
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What kind of stone is Lapis Lazuli?
Lapis Lazuli is not "a single mineral."
It is a "rock" formed over a long period of time by several minerals, primarily lazurite, along with calcite and pyrite, coming together.
That is precisely why each and every bead has its own expression.
Some have many white patterns.
Some are scattered with golden pyrite like a starry sky.
Some are a deep navy blue that feels like you could be drawn into it.
There is not a single Lapis Lazuli with the exact same pattern.
When I choose natural stones, I am drawn more to the "individuality that only that stone possesses" than to something perfectly uniform.
People are the same.
There is no need to be the same as someone else.
It is precisely because we are all different that we are beautiful.
I feel that natural stones are always quietly teaching us such obvious yet important things.
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A blue that has captivated people for over 6,000 years
The history of Lapis Lazuli is thought to date back over 6,000 years.
In the Badakhshan region of northeastern Afghanistan, known even today for the highest quality, mining has continued since ancient times.
This stone was transported along the Silk Road to various places and was treated as a special existence in many civilizations, such as ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, and China.
In ancient Egypt, it was considered a stone as valuable as gold, and it is said that only royalty and high priests were permitted to wear it.
Beautiful Lapis Lazuli is also used in the famous golden mask of King Tutankhamun.
It has continued to captivate people for thousands of years.
That alone conveys just how special this stone has been.
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The prayer imbued in the name "Ruri"
In Japan, Lapis Lazuli is called "Ruri."
I really love this name.
The foreign sound of "Lapis Lazuli" is also charming, but I feel that the two characters for "Ruri" hold a quiet beauty that Japanese people have cherished.
Actually, this word "Ruri" also has a deep connection to Buddhism.
The formal name of the Medicine Buddha is "Yakushi Ruriko Nyorai."
He is considered a Buddha who saves people suffering from illness and pain, and his Pure Land is called the "Eastern Pure Lapis Lazuli World." In the scriptures, it is depicted as a pure world where even the earth shines with the color of lapis lazuli.
That is why there are still many temples in Japan that enshrine the Medicine Buddha as their principal image.
Nara's Yakushi-ji Temple is a prime example, and its principal image, the Medicine Buddha, has been receiving the prayers of many people for over 1,300 years as "Yakushi Ruriko Nyorai."
The word "Ruri" does not simply mean a blue gemstone.
For people of the past, it was also a special color symbolizing hope, healing, and the light of wisdom.
That is why, whenever I hear the name "Ruri," my heart strangely becomes calm.
Perhaps it is because the memories of people's prayers, passed down for over a thousand years, are imbued in this beautiful word.
If you have the opportunity to visit Nara, please try to reflect a little on the meaning of the word "Ruri" while thinking of the Medicine Buddha at Yakushi-ji Temple.
To know stones is to know history.
To know history is to know the prayers of the people.
I believe the greatest charm of natural stones lies in the "stories" that have been passed down over thousands of years.
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Blue is the color that reflects the heart
I have also studied color therapy.
Every time I see the deep blue of Lapis Lazuli, I feel that this color is not just beautiful.
Blue has an impression of calming the mind, organizing thoughts, and giving us time to face ourselves.
When we are feeling impatient, looking up at the blue sky makes us feel a little calmer.
When gazing at the ocean, we naturally want to take a deep breath.
I think many people have had such experiences.
In spiritual thinking, Lapis Lazuli is a natural stone often associated with the sixth chakra, the "Third Eye."
The Third Eye is said to symbolize intuition, insight, and the power to see through to the essence of things.
Of course, this is not scientifically proven, but it is one of the ways of thinking that has been passed down since ancient times.
However, when I learned this meaning, I felt, "Perhaps that is why I have been drawn to this stone."
Since I was young, I have liked analyzing things.
I have a habit of thinking not just about superficial events, but about "why it happened" and "what the real cause is."
And many times in my life, I have been helped by intuition that cannot be explained by logic.
As I accumulated those experiences, I came to think that "what we see is not everything."
That is why, every time I wear Lapis Lazuli, I feel as if I am being asked, "Are you listening properly to the voice of your heart?"
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The "miracle blue" that captivated artists around the world
Lapis Lazuli has captivated people not only as an accessory but also as a "color."
Nowadays, paints come in tubes, and you can easily buy your favorite colors.
But hundreds of years ago, "real blue" was very precious.
The natural pigment made by crushing Lapis Lazuli into a fine powder and carefully removing impurities is called "ultramarine."
It is said that its value rivaled that of gold, and painters used this blue only for truly important scenes.
It is known that natural ultramarine was also used in the works of the 17th-century Dutch painter Vermeer.
Thinking that this blue continues to captivate people even now, hundreds of years later, I am surprised that a single stone has colored even the history of art.
Lapis Lazuli was a gemstone to wear, and at the same time, it was the "blue" itself that humanity has continued to protect.
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Each individuality that changes depending on the place of origin
Natural stones, like people, develop individuality depending on where they were raised.
Lapis Lazuli is no exception.
The most famous is from Badakhshan, Afghanistan, which has a mining history of over 6,000 years.
The deep ultramarine blue that feels like you could be drawn into it and the pyrite scattered like a starry sky have captivated many people.
Chilean Lapis often shows white calcite within a soft blue color, giving it a gentle impression.
Russian Lapis is known for having a deep blue and a uniform beauty.
Rather than one being better than the others, each has a different charm.
When I choose natural stones, I value "whether my heart was moved" rather than "because it is the most expensive."
That is because it is surely the same for stones as it is for encounters with people.
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The beauty of the night sky is not just the stars
When looking at Lapis Lazuli, there is a part I definitely want you to gaze at.
The golden shining "pyrite."
And the "calcite" that appears in white.
Pyrite is just like stars shining in the night sky.
When this gold is scattered just right, Lapis Lazuli becomes even more expressive.
On the other hand, calcite also looks like white clouds.
Generally, it is often considered higher quality the less calcite there is, but I do not think so simply.
A night sky without a single cloud is also beautiful.
But clouds illuminated by moonlight also have a different kind of beauty.
There is no "correct answer" for natural stones.
Whether you can find the scenery that only that stone possesses beautiful.
I value that sense.
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"High quality" and "like" are not necessarily the same
In the world of natural stones,
"Deep blue"
"Less calcite"
"Beautiful way pyrite is included"
and so on, there are criteria for judging quality.
Of course, those are important guidelines.
But I have never chosen a stone based on that alone.
Even if the evaluation is a little low, there are stones that my heart is drawn to.
Conversely, there are stones that I strangely do not reach for, even if they are called high quality.
An encounter with a natural stone is very similar to an encounter with a person.
There is a "compatibility" that cannot be explained by conditions alone.
That is why I value "connections" more than "value."
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The joy of distinguishing the real thing
Because Lapis Lazuli is so popular, various processed products are also circulating in the market.
Things dyed to make the white parts less noticeable.
"Reconstituted Lapis," which is powdered Lapis Lazuli solidified with resin.
Even if they look beautiful, they have a different charm than something that is purely natural.
I do not think processed products are bad.
What is important is to choose with conviction after knowing "is it natural?" or "is it processed?"
Knowing the real thing is not to deny someone else.
By knowing the real thing, you can feel more deeply about the long time that the stone has walked.
I believe that is the greatest joy of learning about natural stones.
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The world of the night sky that resonates with Labradorite
There is a natural stone that I have combined many times when I make bracelets.
That is Labradorite.
The deep, quiet ultramarine blue of Lapis Lazuli.
When the fantastical schiller of Labradorite overlaps there, a beautiful and mysterious world spreads out, as if an aurora has danced down into the night sky.
This combination is a special existence that attracts not only my eyes with its beauty but also my heart.
In the world of natural stones, Lapis Lazuli is sometimes spoken of as a "stone that looks at the truth," and Labradorite as a "stone that symbolizes change and possibility."
I really like that expression.
If Lapis Lazuli is a stone that quietly looks inside oneself, Labradorite is an existence that gently shines a light on possibilities one has not yet noticed.
When people face themselves and notice their true feelings, perhaps they can gain the courage to move forward just a little.
I feel as if these two natural stones are quietly speaking of such a story.
Of course, that is not scientifically proven, but it is a world I have felt while facing natural stones myself.
That is precisely why there is not just one correct answer.
What kind of scenery do you feel when you hold these two stones?
That answer is surely yours alone.
I believe the greatest charm of natural stones lies there.
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Lico’s Message
I have been lost many times in my life so far.
There were times I tried to conform to those around me.
There were times I tried hard to live "normally."
But every time, somewhere in my heart, it became painful.
I think I wanted to find my own answer, not the same answer as others.
When I gaze at the deep blue of Lapis Lazuli, I strangely remember such things.
This stone is not a stone that tells you the answer, saying "live like this."
I feel that it is a stone that quietly asks questions.
"Is that really the life you desire?"
Not someone else's values,
not society's "normal,"
but how does my own heart feel?
When people listen to that voice, perhaps they begin to walk their own life little by little.
I sell natural stones, but what I really want to deliver is not the stone itself.
It is the time to meet yourself by encountering the stone.
No matter how beautiful a natural stone is, it is not the stone that changes your life, but you yourself who holds it.
That is why I want to deliver natural stones not as "tools to make wishes come true," but as a trigger to face yourself.
May the blue like the night sky of Lapis Lazuli quietly reflect your heart and become a small trigger for you to notice your true self.
Thank you very much for reading until the end.
I would be very happy if this article led not only to the charm of Lapis Lazuli but also to time spent facing your own heart.
In this "Traveling the World of Stones" series, I will continue to carefully deliver the history and culture imbued in each natural stone, as well as the thoughts I have felt myself.
If this article resonated with your heart, I would be very encouraged if you could "Like" and follow me.
Let's travel to a new world of stones together next time.
Lico
