This royal blue Lapis free form sculpture has intense, fabulous color. (an even richer blue in person) It has an excellent polish (done in Hong Kong, not in Afganistan), and the shape itself resembles a spinnaker sail. It weighs 36.4 grams. It has just enough gold pyrite, and a tiny bit of white marble to accentuate the intense blue that only comes from the best Lapis. I pulled a handful of the best pieces from a large purchase of hundreds that I boughtover 8 years ago (since then the quality has been terrible). It exhibits the right combination of color, polish and shape. Set it on a shelf, or on your desk and enjoy its natural beauty. This is the same grade that cabs are cut from and set in gold rings.

The Lapis carving is from an extensive carving collection I purchased 4 years ago. It was carved in China around 1997. The quality of the Lapis matches well, they are the same height, and the quality of the Horse is excellent. It stands well by itself, being well balanced. I couldn't come close to replacing either of these two pieces on the market today.

Lapis Lazuli (polished and carved)