Lapis Lazuli Magatama 60mm — Polished Deep Blue Truth Stone

Lapis lazuli is one of those stones that needs no introduction once you see it. This magatama measures 60 x 32 x 23 mm, noticeably chunky through the body, polished into the curved comma form that has been part of Japanese craft since prehistory. The blue is the draw, deep and slightly violet, the colour that ancient Egypt reserved for gods and pharaohs. Lapis has long been tied to the third eye and throat chakras, which is a neat pairing: seeing something clearly, then having the nerve to say it.

There's a lovely piece of symbolism behind the shape here. The Yasakani no Magatama is one of the three Imperial Regalia of Japan, kept at the Imperial Palace and used in enthronement ceremonies, and of the three treasures it's the jewel that represents benevolence. The sword stands for courage, the mirror for wisdom, and the curved bead for compassion tempering both. Carrying a magatama was never about power on its own.

A closer look

Something most people don't realise is that lapis isn't a single mineral at all. It's a rock, mostly lazurite for the blue, with calcite making the white veining and pyrite giving those brassy gold specks that look like stars scattered across a night sky. That mix is exactly how you judge quality, and how you spot a fake: dyed howlite and jasper imitations tend to be flatly, unnaturally uniform in colour with no pyrite anywhere. The finest material has come from the Sar-e-Sang mines in Badakhshan, Afghanistan for something like six thousand years, which makes them arguably the oldest gem mines still working on earth. Ground lapis was once the source of ultramarine, a pigment worth more by weight than gold.

• Stone: Natural lapis lazuli
• Form: Polished magatama carving
• Size: 60 x 32 x 23 mm
• Colour: Deep royal blue
• Chakras: Third eye and throat
• Tradition: Japanese magatama, linked to the Imperial Regalia

Living with your lapis magatama

People tend to keep lapis where thinking and talking happen, so a desk, a writing space, or somewhere you'll pick it up before a conversation you're dreading. It works equally well as a collector's carving or the focal stone in a wrapped pendant. Care matters more here than with a quartz, because lapis is soft at around 5 to 5.5 on the Mohs scale and slightly porous with it. Keep it out of water rather than rinsing it, keep perfume, oils and household cleaners well away, and wipe it with a dry or barely damp soft cloth. Stored on its own it will not pick up scratches from harder stones.

Please note: crystals are not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Keep small pieces away from young children.