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Lapis Lazuli: Update (thelemmy.club)
submitted 3 weeks ago by Wren@lemmy.today to c/cool_rocks@lemmy.today

I recently posted about the lapis lazuli a rockhounding buddy sent me.

But I wanted to destroy it.

My goal was to create the original ultramarine pigment of renaissance artists. After a few failed tries manually, I ordered a rock tumbler and — since lapis lazuli is SUPER hard and I didn't want to have to separate grit from pigment, I got steel paint mixing balls to grind it down. That way I can separate any steel bits at the end with a magnet.

After a week, the pieces look like this. It's so pretty I'm keeping these to polish and turn into, I donno, a necklace or witchcraft or something, while I let the balls work on the rest of the bits.

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[-] Mobiuthuselah@mander.xyz 7 points 3 weeks ago

I've always heard it pronounced the first way

this post was submitted on 18 Jan 2026
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