Lapis lazuli, also known as just lapis, is a stone with one of the longest traditions of being considered a gem, with a history stretching back to 7000 BC in Mehrgarh of Indian subcontinent, situated in modern day Balochistan, Pakistan. Deep blue in color and opaque, this gemstone was highly prized by the pharaohs of ancient Egypt, as can be seen by its prominent use in many of the treasures recovered from pharaonic tombs. It is still extremely popular today. Lapis is a rock and not a mineral because it is made up from various other minerals. To be a true mineral it would have one constituent only. The first part of the name is the Latin lapis, meaning stone. The second part, lazuli, is the genitive form of the medieval Latin lazulum. This was originally a place-name, but soon came to mean blue because of its association with the stone. The English word azure, the Spanish and Portuguese azul, and the Italian azzurro are cognates. Taken as a whole, lapis lazuli means "stone of azure". The finest color is intense blue, lightly dusted with small flecks of golden pyrite.