Lapis Lazuli is a blue metamorphic rock that has been used as a gemstone, sculpting material, pigment, and ornamental material for thousands of years. Blue stones are rare in nature and for that reason Lapis Lazuli is often found in the  artifacts of kings, pharoahs and emperors. The blue color is derived from the presence of lazurite, a blue silicate mineral of the sodalite group.  Afghanistan is the world's leading source of lapis lazuli. Other source countries include Chile, Russia, Canada, Argentina, and Pakistan and small amount in the western United States. In the Bible, the word "sapphire" was often used as a name for lapis lazuli and scholars believe that some references to sapphire in the Bible are actually references to lapis lazuli.