Stones Used: Lapis Lazuli, Red Howlite
Lapis lazuli is a blue metamorphic rock that has been used as a gemstone, sculpting material, pigment, and ornamental material for thousands of years. 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.
Howlite is a calcium silico-borate mineral that naturally occurs as white in color, commonly marked with black, gray, or brown intersecting veins. Howlite is soft and porus, allowing it to absorb dyes, such as red, in this case.  Howlite is found in borax evaporite deposits in dry lakes and in sedimentary clays.  Howlite is found mainly in Canada, specifically in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and New Brunswick, but it also occurs in lesser abundance in the USA, Russia, Germany, Mexico, Namibia, Pakistan, and Turkey.