68 AZURE STONE. 
About fifty years ago this stone was an article much 
in fashion for various ornamental parts of dress. Be- 
ing capable of very high polish, it was cut into beads, 
stones for rings, bracelets, and necklaces. It was also 
cut into ornamental vases, small statues, and the tops 
and bottoms of snuff-boxes ; but of late it has been 
almost wholly out of use for these purposes. Be- 
fore the French Revolution it was imported, to consi- 
derable extent, into that country from the Persian Gulf 
for the inlaying of richly-decorated altars ; and its value 
was appreciated according to the proportion of its yel- 
low spots or veins : these, by many persons, were erro- 
neously considered to be of gold. 
The most important purpose to which lapis lazuli is 
now applied is in the manufacturing of the beautiful 
and brilliant blue colour so much esteemed by painters, 
called ultramarine. For the making of this, such 
pieces are selected as contain the greatest proportion 
of blue .substance, and consequently the least yellow or 
white. These are burned or calcined, reduced to a fine 
powder, made into a paste with wax, linseed oil, and 
resinous matters of different kinds, and afterwards 
separated by washing. The powder that is left in this 
operation, which requires much time and great atten- 
tion to perform, is ultramarine. 
There are few colours so little susceptible of change 
from the effects of time as ultramarine : the conse- 
quence of this has been that, as several of the ancient 
painters introduced it for the representation of blue 
drapery, their pictures, in many instances, are now de- 
void of harmony, as this colour alone has stood, whilst 
all the others have changed. 
Lapis lazuli is principally brought from Persia, 
Natolia, and China ; but it is also found in Siberia and 
Tartary. In Europe it has been discovered only in 
Germany, and among the ruins of Rome. 
A coarse imitation of it is sometimes made by throw- 
ing copper filings into blue enamel whilst in a melted 
state. 
