Lapislazuli Thin medium grinding Pigment First Quality Afghanistan

Lapis lazuli pigment imported directly from Afghanistan. Excellent quality. Sourced from the Afghan regions of Badakhshan and Panjshir, handcrafted: selected and ground. Medium grind, to be reviewed before use with glass pestle. It is a complex magnesium-containing silicate,belonging to the sodalite group, described by the formula Na6Ca2(Al,SiO4)(SiO4)S. The modern term "lazurite" appeared in the 18th century. The first written records of the use of this mineral in painting are found in a treatise by Theophrastus (4th-3rd century BC) and in Pliny's Naturalis Historia (1st century AD). Paintings made from lapis lazuli were found during excavations of the tomb of the Egyptian pharaoh Ramesses II (13th century BC). The mineral was imported into Europe from Badakhshan, a region located in present-day Afghanistan. Hence the word "overseas", which translates the Arabic expression for "coming from beyond the sea". Byzantine masters used the lapis lazuli of Badakhshan in frescoes and icon painting. Between the 11th and 16th centuries, it was one of the most expensive blue pigments, as well as a favorite among painters. Latin speakers adopted a Persian term for the color blue; lazurium evolved into azurium and, eventually, lazur.
Lapis lazuli is the most stable and durable of the blue pigments. Being a silicate, it resists light and weathering. It has low opacity. 

* Chemical formula: Na6Ca2(AlSiO4)6(SO4,S,Cl)2  
* Chemical description: Mineral. Silicate with a three-dimensional structure (tectosilicate) of the sodalite group. • Lightfastness: 8
* Veiling
* Suitability: Acrylic, Fresco, Oil, Tempera, Watercolor/Guazzo
* Shape: Medium grinding powder, review with glass pestle before painting.
* Alkali resistance: 5
* Acid resistance: 5
* Opacity: Medium