Lapis Lazuli is the precious stone behind the fabled Ultramarine as well as the historically important Egyptian Blue. The best examples were from one specific site in Afghanistan, where it has been mined for over 6,500 years. The name of the stone originates from the Arabic word lazaward, which translates to “heaven” and “sky”. The Spanish word Azul (blue) has traces back to this most blue of all blues.

Used by the Egyptians (famously by Cleopatra), the ingredients as well as production methods of this legendary pigment had been lost for centuries before the creation of Ultramarine. The name itself derives from ultramarinus in Latin, or “beyond the sea”.

This new and exciting pigment was essentially a more modern take on Egyptian Blue in Italy during the 14th and 15th century A.D. At one time this precious pigment had a value surpassing that of gold, which limited its usage to depicting the clothes of holy figures in paintings.