Afghan Lapis Lazuli is a metamorphic rock dominated by lazurite with calcite and pyrite. It has a deep ultramarine blue, light blue streak, hardness 5–5.5 Mohs, and SG ~2.7–2.9. Found in Sar-e-Sang, Afghanistan, it has been mined for over 6,000 years and historically valued for jewelry and as the source of ultramarine pigment.

The Sar-e-Sang mines in the Kokcha Valley of Badakhshan, Afghanistan, have been worked since at least 7000–6000 BCE — making it one of the oldest known gemstone sources.

Historically used in Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Greek, Roman, and Renaissance cultures for jewelry, seals, carvings, and amulets. It was also ground into powder for ultramarine pigment, one of the most expensive pigments of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, used in paintings by artists such as Michelangelo and Vermeer. Part of what made it so expensive, is it was the only blue paint that did not fade so only the rich artists used it. The sistine chapel was painted with ultramarie made from lapis lazuli, which is why it has held it's blue color for such a long period of time when other blues from the same era have lost all blue coloring.

Throughout history Lapis has been a symbol of royalty, spirituality, and wisdom in many cultures. While lapis can be found in a few places in the world, the deepest blue comes from Afganistan.

At the time of this writing, unfortunetly the Taliban control all mining and distribution so it is considered by some to be "unethically sourced".