Judging quality
Elite shungite is shiny, brittle and light; common black shungite is matte and denser. Both leave a black mark on the hands when raw.
Carbon
Shungite
A non-crystalline carbon rock, roughly two billion years old, found principally around Lake Onega in Russian Karelia. Elite or noble shungite is over ninety percent carbon and has a bright metallic lustre.
Care
Sooty when raw. Handle with care around fabric; rinse polished pieces only.
History & lore
Peter the Great established a spa at the Karelian springs in 1719 on the strength of the local shungite-filtered water.
Cultural history, recorded as tradition rather than as medical or scientific claim.
Common questions about Shungite
- What is Shungite?
- A non-crystalline carbon rock, roughly two billion years old, found principally around Lake Onega in Russian Karelia. Elite or noble shungite is over ninety percent carbon and has a bright metallic lustre.
- How hard is Shungite and what is it made of?
- Shungite is a Carbon-family mineral with the composition C. It crystallizes in the amorphous system and rates 3.5-4 on the Mohs hardness scale. It occurs in black.
- Where does Shungite come from?
- Notable localities for Shungite include Russia (Karelia).
- How do you tell good Shungite from filler?
- Elite shungite is shiny, brittle and light; common black shungite is matte and denser. Both leave a black mark on the hands when raw.
- How do you care for Shungite?
- Sooty when raw. Handle with care around fabric; rinse polished pieces only.
See it in person
Photographs only go so far
Both rooms are open six days a week, and there is always someone happy to pull pieces out of the case so you can compare them under the light.