The original locality for lapis lazuli is the Sar-e-Sang deposit in Afghanistan's remote Badakhshan district. In the Achaemenid period, azure was called "Kabutkeh". In the Sassanid period, azure was consumed a lot. The roof of Ctesiphon, as well as various sculptures, is made of azure; it is possible that they used azurite instead of azure in making these works. 

Its weight is high and its use puts a dead load on the building. Installation of this stone is time consuming due to the use of mortar for adhesion. This stone is not thermal and acoustic insulation, thus leading to energy loss in the building. Granite adhesion to mortar is not ideal. For this reason, its use as a paving stone has recently been banned because it is likely to fall.

In 2010, US Pentagon officials, along with US geologists, uncovered approximately $ 1 trillion in untapped mineral reserves in Afghanistan. A Pentagon note says Afghanistan could become Saudi Arabia's lithium. Some believe that intact minerals are worth up to $ 3 trillion.