Lapis lazuli, now called Lazurite, is a semiprecious stone famous for its intensely rich blue color, and is the source of Ultramarine dye. Utilized by humanity for over 5000 years, it was often the only chemically stable blue dye available until the Early Modern era, and was was the most expensive of all pigment colors. It possesses powerful symbolic importance in its own right. For a full analysis of that importance, see the symbol for 'Lapis Lazuli'.