Lapis Lazuli is a Royal Blue Gemstone that has been used as a gemstone for centuries. It has been found in artifacts dating as far back as 7500 BC and was popular with the ancient Egyptians. It has become increasingly rare and hard to find lately so while it was once considered "semi-precious", it has recently moved up the gemstone ranks to become more of a precious gem, often bought and sold alongside rubies and sapphires. The deep blue metamorphic rock is often sprinkled with flecks of pyrite which gives it the feeling of looking at the evening sky after the stars have come out, just before the sky goes black. There are different grades of Lapis and the lighter variety, which has more of a blue jeans color and patterning, is known as Denim Lapis.