June 30, 2010
Lapis Lazuli
Courtesy of PBS
Answer: There is no industry standard for the grading terminology used to evaluate lapis – or other color gemstones. Therefore, you will find various suppliers using their own grading scale which may or may not align with others. A++ “looks” like a higher grade than A or B, however, the supplier should explain rather than leaving it to guesswork.
When evaluating lapis, important factors include the color, the quality of polish, and presence of “gold flecks”. Some people like the flecks – others do not. Visit www.gemstone.org. This is the site for the International Colored Stone Association. They have good information about lapis, its history and qualities. …Dii
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