Shungite: A Stone of Superstition, Science and Skepticism

By Michael J Kallstrom, MS Geoscience & Katie Scudellari

Shungite, a black Russian stone that started out as single-celled algae 1 to 2 billion years ago, has only recently become widely known and used for its unique physical and metaphysical properties. Found primarily near the Shun'ga Village in the Karelia region of Russia, residents often attributed the black stone with restorative and healing properties. Springs that flowed through the black stone were often applied as a cure all by villagers due to how fresh, clean and pure the waters tasted and their belief that the water healed ailments and physical wounds. Local lore says that in the 16th Century a noblewoman named Xenia Ivanovna was exiled to a monastery in the region. She suffered from a chronic illness with no known cure. She was given water from a spring that flowed out of a Shungite layer and in time found her health had returned. She later married and gave birth to Mikhail Roman, the first Tsar of the Romanov Dynasty. Then, in the 18th Century, after spending much time in the region, Tsar Peter the Great claimed to feel so well and energized after bathing in and drinking the natural springs that he established Russia's first health resort, the "Marcial Waters", in 1719. Despite this royal endorsement, it was not until 1792 that Nikolay Ozereckovskiy, a naturalist and encyclopedist, recorded the first physical description of the stone. Another century passed and the magical rock was finally named and classified in 1879 by Aleksandr Inostrantsev, a Russian geology professor at St. Petersburg University.

Subsequent classification studies based on petrogenesis (how the rock formed) and composition (carbon content) have resulted in two major types of Shungite according to Mindat.org . In the metaphysical community, these two types are known as Elite (aka Noble) Shungite and Common Shungite (or simply, Shungite). Elite Shungite is comprised of 98% carbon or higher and formed from the remobilization of bitumen (aka tar) into fractures and pore spaces as the Precambrian oil source rocks were squeezed and heated during metamorphism. Due to the release of gaseous and fluid components by the bitumen during this process, the tar-like material hardened with a submetallic luster.

On the other hand, Common Shungite, contains less than 98% carbon and formed as oil-bearing shales became metamorphosed under high pressures and temperatures in the Earth. This large-scale formation resulted in a stratified, chalky material that easily “rubs off” when handled. Noble Shungite is far rarer due to the high concentration of carbon required for its formation, and the much smaller volume restricted to specific veins rather than massive deposits (as is the case for Common Shungite).

In 1992 fullerenes (often called "buckyballs") were discovered to exist in Shungite, although only in very small amounts. Fullerenes, discovered in 1985 by Rice University researchers, represent a new chemical structure for carbon unique from diamonds and graphite. Fullerenes have a wide range of potential applications. In the medical field, these carbon cages absorb free radicals readily, could be used as capsules (on the microscopic level) for drug/gene therapy, and have antiviral potential by blocking or trapping viral components. For electronics and green energy, fullerenes can be used in solar cells, semi-conductors and superconductors. Chemically, the high surface area of these molecules allows them to act as catalysts for industrial and environmental chemical reactions.

Due to the presence of these unique carbon molecules, Shungite may have inherited many manifestations of these applications as well. Historically, Common Shungite has been used in construction as floor tiles and as a pigment in paint. More modern practical uses for it are as an additive to concrete or asphalt to increase strength and longevity of roads and buildings. When added to floors and roads, Shungite’s electrical conductivity enhances heating or de-icing.  A 2003 peer-reviewed study, showed its effectiveness in blocking EMF (electromagnetic frequencies), which is a main use for it today by Nature’s Treasures clientele, although the extent of protection outside of a laboratory is not well constrained. In 2006 it was confirmed by researchers from Saint Petersburg State University that Shungite acts as a natural antibacterial filter. This research likely led some manufacturers to incorporate shungite into water purifiers. Another study in 2022 reported the effects of “shungite water” as weakly antibacterial. It should be noted that adding raw shungite to drinking water or crushing it into a powder for inhalation is NOT recommended.

Shungite is relatively new to the metaphysical world as an energetic tool, but its popularity has skyrocketed in recent years. It should come as no surprise that its energetic uses vary as widely as its scientific applications. Although we typically associate black stones with protection and grounding, Shungite is also widely used for energetic purification and healing by transferring, moving, or neutralizing energies in the body.

Although Shungite can attribute much of its popularity to early superstition, many scientific studies have been conducted that beg the question “can Shungite really do all of the things it’s believed to do?” Modern skeptics continue to challenge the validity of claims that Shungite possesses any curative or energetic properties, but that has not curbed the curiosity of many researchers seeking answers about Shungite’s potential applications. Shungite reminds us all that “any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic,” as Arthur C. Clarke has said. The villagers of Shun-ga had a natural intuition about Shungite benefitting their health and wellness, but it was not until many centuries later that science began to quantify those effects. Furthermore, the subsequent discoveries related to Shungite would probably have never come to pass if that little bit of Karelian lore had not caught the attention of the Romanov Dynasty.

Perhaps as each of us journeys through our lives, it would benefit us to remember that spirituality and science both seek to expand our understanding of the universe, and there is value in both perspectives. Furthermore, we would do well to remember that curiosity is a much more productive way to approach alternative beliefs than unbridled skepticism because it’s hard to know what you don’t know. As Carl Sagan once said, “the absence of proof is not proof of absence.”

Whether you would like to add this historic material to your collection, study it for yourself, or experiment with its healing energies, we have several varieties available in-store and online at Nature's Treasures. Rough material by the pound in the Rock Depot & Rock Yard, carved/tumbled pieces in the Retail Showroom, and jewelry pieces available behind the Jewelry Counter.