FAQ
Everything people ask us about shungite: where it comes from, how to tell real stone from fake, how to use it for water, and how we ship. If your question isn't answered here, email us and we'll add it.
Free 100g raw shungite with every order
Free 100g raw shungite with every order
Everything people ask us about shungite: where it comes from, how to tell real stone from fake, how to use it for water, and how we ship. If your question isn't answered here, email us and we'll add it.
Shungite is a black, carbon-bearing mineraloid found in commercial quantity in exactly one place on Earth: the Republic of Karelia, in north-west Russia. It is roughly two billion years old, and it behaves unlike almost any other stone — most notably, it conducts electricity.
All genuine shungite comes from Karelia, near Lake Onega. Ours comes from the Zazhoginsky deposit, the largest working source. Similar-looking black rocks are mined elsewhere, but they are not shungite.
There are two competing explanations and no settled answer. The biogenic theory holds that it formed from ancient organic matter altered over hundreds of millions of years. The volcanogenic theory holds that the carbon came from volcanic activity and was never alive. Both remain open.
No. A crystal has an ordered, repeating atomic structure. Shungite does not — its carbon is amorphous. It is correctly called a mineraloid, though almost everyone calls it a stone and that is not worth arguing about.
No, although it looks similar and will mark your hands the same way. Shungite is extremely difficult to burn and is not used as fuel.
No. Some researchers have noted that its carbon structures resemble carbon found in meteorites, which is where the idea comes from, but there is no evidence shungite is extraterrestrial.
No relation at all. Tourmaline is a boron-bearing aluminosilicate. The two are often sold side by side, which causes the confusion.
Broadly two. Classic or "type III" shungite is matte black and contains roughly 30% carbon. Elite or "type I" is silvery, mirror-like and around 98% carbon. Everything we sell is classic type III.
It is genuinely rare, sold by the gram, and priced accordingly. We would rather sell a large, honest piece of classic shungite than a small expensive one. If you specifically want elite, buy it from someone who specialises in it.
A marketing term. It refers to the same thing as elite type I. If a seller charges a premium for "noble" over "elite", they are charging you for a word.
No, though the two are linked. Shungite contains fullerene C60 molecules in small amounts within a wider unusual carbon structure. It is not made of fullerenes, and any seller implying that it is has overstated things considerably.
Classic type III shungite is around 30% carbon by weight, with most of the remainder being silicate — largely quartz. That is why raw pieces show quartz and pyrite veining.
Yes, and this is its most unusual property. Almost no other stone does. You can demonstrate it at home with a small battery and a bulb — the circuit completes through the stone. Elite type I conducts considerably better than classic type III, but both conduct.
No. Hold it to a strong magnet and nothing happens. Powdered shungite can show very weak magnetic behaviour because of sulfide content, but the stone itself is not magnetic.
No. Shungite is not a radioactive mineral.
Those are inclusions of pyrite and quartz, and they are a good sign. Natural shungite is not uniform. A piece that is flawlessly, perfectly black with no variation is more likely to be dyed stone than a superior specimen.
The pyrite in the stone oxidises in contact with air and water. Light surface rust on raw pieces is normal and expected. Brush it off if you want to; it does not indicate a problem.
Raw and unpolished pieces leave a faint carbon mark on the fingers, especially when new. Rinse a new piece before use and it settles down. Polished pieces do not, because polishing seals the surface.
It depends entirely on what you want it for. Polished pieces are for display and for keeping in a room. Unpolished raw or tumbled stone is what you use for water — polishing seals the surface and stops it working.
Yes. There are no toxic substances in shungite's composition, and it is approved in Russia for use in drinking-water treatment.
Yes. Pendants and bracelets are worn against the skin without issue.
Lead content is negligible — under 0.02%.
We are not aware of any harm from handling or wearing it. As with anything, keep small pieces away from children and pets who might swallow them.
Rinse the stones, then use roughly 150 to 200 grams of raw or tumbled shungite per litre of water. Leave it to infuse for 6 to 24 hours. Use a glass or ceramic vessel.
No. Polishing seals the surface. Use raw or tumbled stone only.
Rinse new stones under running water to remove carbon dust. After that, scrub them gently with a clean toothbrush roughly every two weeks.
Every three months or so for stones used in water. Shungite works partly as a sorbent, which means it accumulates what it removes. Stones used only for EMF purposes or display never need replacing.
Not in any physical sense — it works as it is. Some people cleanse crystals as part of a personal practice, which is entirely up to you, but nothing about the stone requires it.
Yes. Classic black shungite absorbs a little water and takes time to dry fully. This is normal and does not damage it.
No. Shungite is not water-soluble and will not break down or dissolve. What it does do over time is accumulate the impurities it removes from the water, which is why stones used for water should be replaced every three months or so.
The first time, yes — that is carbon dust from handling and cutting. Rinse the stones thoroughly and it stops. If it persists after several rinses, the stones may be poorly finished.
Three checks. It conducts electricity, so a battery and a bulb will light. It shows natural pyrite or quartz veining rather than flawless uniform black. And raw pieces leave a faint carbon trace on your fingers. A stone that fails all three is not shungite.
Most commonly shungizite — a related but different, low-carbon rock — or ordinary black stone that has been dyed, or moulded resin. None of them conduct electricity.
Yes. Every category we carry is certified under GOST R 53603-2020, certificates 0291380 to 0291383, valid to 29 July 2028. The certificates confirm what the stone is and where it came from.
Because we buy direct and we are not adding a middle-market markup. The stone is the same stone. We would rather be the cheapest honest seller than an expensive one with a nicer story.
Yes, to more than 200 countries and regions. Every order includes a free 100g raw shungite stone regardless of destination or order size.
Our certificates confirm what the stone is and where it came from. Nothing on this site is medical advice.