Lapis lazuli is a relatively rare; semi-precious stone that has been prized since antiquity for its intense blue color. Lapis lazuli has been mined in the Badakhshan province of Afghanistan for over 6;000 years; and trade in the stone is ancient enough for lapis jewelry to have been found at Predynastic Egyptian sites and lapis beads at neolithic burials in Mehrgarh; the Caucasus; and even as far from Afghanistan as Mauritania.