about Shungite

So what exactly is shungite and how is it going to enhance your life? We will aim to cover everything you need to know about this incredible natural resource. We will give you a detailed insight into what it makes it such a special product highlighting the past, present and what we believe will be the future of shungite. As life becomes ever more taxing and stressful, more and more people are looking at ways to take those strains out of their lives. We believe Shungite is the key to a calmer, healthier existence.

The origins of Shungite are still unknown. There is speculation that it was formed as the result of a meteor strike hitting our planet before organic life even existed. Another theory argues that the stone was formed in oceans before ending up on land. There is also additional speculation that it originated from organisms in sedimentary rocks changing through time. It’s possible that we will never know it’s proper origin. What is true though is that at present, the main place where Shungite can be found is in the mining areas of Karelia, which is located in the northwest of Russia on the shores of the famous Lake Onega. There have also been other much smaller occurrences in Russia. The first was in a place called Kamchatka in volcanic rocks and the other was formed by the burning of spoil from a coal mine at a very high temperature in Chelyabinsk. In addition there have reportedly been other instances of small shungite findings in Austria, India, Democratic Republic of Congo and Kazakhstan. 

There are two main modes of occurrence with regards to shungite. The first relates to its dissemination within the host rock and as apparently mobilised material. Migrated shungite which is the brighter, lustrous one has been said to represent migrated hydrocarbons and is found as either layer or vein shungite. It may also occur as clasts within younger rocks. 

The main deposit of shungite contains an estimated total carbon reserve in excess of 250 million gigatonnes developed over an area of 9000 square kilometres. It is located within a mix of metasedimentary and metavolcanic rocks that are preserved within a fold with younger layers closer to the centre of the structure otherwise known as a synform. The sequence is dated by a gabbro intrusion which in essence reveals a period of millions of years over which this process has been taking place. This period is otherwise known as the Paleoproterozoic era which was around 1600-2500 million years ago. The Paleoproterozoic is also the longest era in the geological history of Earth. It is believed that it was in this era that the continents first stabilised. It is the first of three sub-divisions or eras of the Proterozoic Eon. 

Shungite has long been regarded as a pure example of abiogenic petroleum formation but its biological origin has now been confirmed. Non-migrated Shungite is found directly above deposits that were formed in a shallow water carbonate shelf to non-marine environment. The shungite bearing sequence is believed to have been deposited during active rifting, consistent with the alkaline volcanic rocks that are found with the sequence. The organic rich sediments were probably deposited in a setting consistent with a lagoon. The elevated levels of carbon  indicate increased biological productivity probably as a result of the high levels of nutrients available from volcanic material that is already embedded. 

Shungite is a beautiful stone, black in colour that is made of up to 99% carbon. It also consists of nearly all the minerals in the periodic table. However, what makes Shungite especially enticing is that it is the only known source of fullerenes on the planet. I can actually hear a lot of you out there asking what are fullerenes. Well I do plan to go into more detail about them in a later chapter but essentially they are the elements from which Shungite receives its healing powers. Historically, the only other known source of fullerenes on earth have been from the odd meteorite which illustrates just how a rare a phenomenon it is.

There are three types of shungite and they are differentiated by the amount of carbon present in them. The first of these is called regular shungite. This contains 25-50% of organic carbon. Of the three types, it’s more robust composition makes it the easiest to shape. As a result these are mined to a industrial level spawning items such as pyramids, beads and spheres. With its deep black colour it is very popular in the handmade jewellery trade across the world. 

The next is a rare stone called Petrovsky or type II shungite. This is classed as a transitional type and contains up to 75% carbon. The black colouring is not quite as deep as the regular and has more of a shiny look to it. It has all the properties of the higher grade elite shungite but is not quite as fragile. As with the regular type, they can also be shaped into different products such as bracelets, necklaces and pendants. There is an old legend that states that a Russian emperor, Peter I, ordered his soldiers to use petrovsky shungite to purify water and for the healing of wounds during the many military assignments in the 18th century. It is alleged that while enemy fingers were constantly weakened by dysentery, the local Russian troops stayed strong due to the benefits of shungite. It is also said that he created the first Russian Healing Spa on Lake Onega but only the aristocracy were allowed to use it back then. 

Lastly but by no means least is the elite (or noble) shungite. This is by the rarest form of shungite with up to 99% of pure carbon. In terms of colour it has more of a silver tint as well as a very shiny surface. These have the more powerful healing energies due to the higher carbon content. They are extremely fragile which makes them almost impossible to be shaped or polished. As a result the elite types are normally sold in their unique, natural shape. You can get pendants and earrings with the elite but only as raw nuggets. As the name suggests this is the flagship shungite where you see it perform at its very best.