Explore / South America / Andes
Andes, Coquimbo Region
Ovalle hinterland
Chilean lapis lazuli (Flor de los Andes)
Gem locality Documented siteRestricted
What you could find
Reported finds from this ground.
Crystals and mineralsAlso reported: lapis lazuli rough, tumbles and jewelry (purchases in Ovalle, Combarbala and Santiago's Bellavista lapis district).
Photos via Wikimedia Commons: Stephanie Clifford from Arlington, VA, USA (CC BY 2.0).
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Why this spot
Rockhounding locality: the Andes above Tulahuen hold Chile's only lapis lazuli deposit, worked since Inca times and one of just two major sources on Earth
Wikipedia's lapis lazuli article confirms the deposit near Ovalle, Chile as a principal world source used since Inca times; the mine itself sits at 3500 m and is not publicly mapped in detail
Before you go
Hazards noted for this site.
High Andes terrainSeasonal snow closure
the pin marks the valley approach villageNot the mine gate
Keep exploring nearby
More spots in this area.