What does Lapis Lazuli Mean?

Lapis lazuli has carried meaning for thousands of years, and that is a big part of why people are drawn to it beyond just the blue.

So you are most probably here because you own a piece, or you are thinking about one, and you want to know what the stone actually stands for. Not what it is made of or where it comes from. You want the meaning behind it.

There is more than one. Lapis has been tied to truth, to wisdom, to royalty, and to a few other things across different times and places. Some of its lines are up, some of it has shifted over the years, so it can get confusing which meaning is the real one.

Here in this blog, we will walk you through what lapis lazuli means and where those meanings came from.

So, let's get started.

What Does Lapis Lazuli Mean?

The Name Itself Has a Meaning

The meaning of lapis lazuli begins with the name, and the name is simpler than it sounds.

Lapis is the Latin word that means a plain stone. The second letter, lazuli, originated from an old Persian word, lazhuward, which meant blue. So, when the whole name is put together, it means a blue stone. 

Doesn't the name itself speak about one of its biggest meanings? 

This is the whole meaning of a stone that has been worn by kings and painters who fought for it over the years. 

Lapis Lazuli as the Stone of Truth

If you ask the meaning of lapis lazuli to many people, the answer is the truth. This meaning has been there for years, and something that remains constant. 

Lapis has been called a stone of truth. Truth with yourself. Being honest about what you actually think and say. People tied it to honest speaking, to saying the thing instead of holding it in.

So when someone wears lapis for its meaning, this is usually the one they are after. The idea that the stone prompts you toward being unadulterated, with yourself first and then with everyone else.

A Symbol of Wisdom

Wisdom is another meaning that has been around for a long period of time. 

The Egyptians called lapis the wisdom stone. They believed it helped people to sharpen their minds and open up the part of them that already knows the answer. In simple words, it doesn’t mean to learn something new; it is more about getting clarity on what you already understand. 

This meaning has remained popular across multiple old cultures, beyond just Egypt. People kept connecting the blue stone to a clear head and good judgment. So the wisdom meaning is one of the most consistent things about lapis through history.

You do not have to believe the stone makes you wise. But knowing it was the wisdom stone for thousands of years is part of what you carry when you wear it.

Lapis Lazuli Meant Royalty and Power

Throughout history, lapis has been the stone of kings, but it also has the meaning of royalty and power. 

Traditionally, it was among the rarest stones that were not affordable for many of the people. Pharaohs were seeded with it. Cleopatra is said to have ground it into powder for her blue eye makeup. The Sumerians linked it to their goddess Inanna and carved it into seals that stood in for a ruler's signature.

So, you can say that lapis has a meaning of nobility and power that came directly from who could actually own it. If you had lapis, you were someone. That association ran for centuries.

The stone is more affordable now, which is a good thing. But that royal meaning is still sitting there in its history. You are wearing the same blue the pharaohs wore.

The Blue Meant the Sky and the Heavens

As said earlier, the lapis lazuli has a blue color that carries meaning. 

The deep blue color of the stone, flecked with the little gold pyrite specks, looked to ancient people like the night sky full of stars. So Lapis got tied to the heavens, to the gods, to things above. 

The Egyptians connected it to their sky gods. People saw it as a piece that captured the sky in the stone. 

As a result, the stone also felt scared of so many cultures. It was not just pretty blue, it looked like the heavens, so they treated it like it had something of the heavens in it.

So part of what lapis means is that old link between the colour and the sky. The stone that looked like the night.

Friendship and Loyalty

Over time, lapis has also made its reputation as the stone of friendship and loyalty. It is referred to as the stone that holds the bond between the people and makes them honest in their relationship. 

As said, it is associated with truth, so when you are in a relationship, this is one of the most commonly asked things.  

So lapis is sometimes given as a stone between friends, or to mark a loyal bond. Not the most famous of its meanings, but it has been there a long time, and for some people, it is the one that matters most.

What Lapis Lazuli Means Today?

So far, we have discussed the meaning of the lapis lazuli that survived for years, but all of them in today’s time seems relatable. 

This is a question that has no clear answer. Some people say that these meanings are still relevant to them. 

Some of the meanings that hold their value are truth and wisdom. People still prefer lapis because of what it stands for, and not only because the blue looks good. These meanings gone through a lot of transformation through centuries, but their original meaning remained the same. 

So when you wear lapis today, you are wearing all of that history at once. The blue stone that meant truth, wisdom, royalty, and the sky.

Final Take

So that is what lapis lazuli means, going right back to the name.

A blue stone that stood for truth and wisdom, that marked out kings and queens, that looked like the night sky to the people who first dug it up, and that came to mean loyalty between friends, too. Some of it is belief and some of it is plain history, but all of it is still sitting in the stone today.

At JewelPin, we have a collection of lapis lazuli jewelry. So you can have a look and pick the piece that fits the meaning you connect with.