The use of lapis lazuli for the manufacturing of ornaments or worship objects has a very long tradition. Already in Mesopotamia and in Egypt, this stone was appreciated and sought after, as its ore deposits were very rare.
The main one, and also the oldest, mentioned by Marco Polo, is located in the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan. After being long forgotten in the Middle Ages, in the Renaissance the lapis lazuli enjoyed in Florence a great period of fame.
Fonte: Italy24