Shungite FAQs 101
I was fortunate to have worked extensively in the USSR for 14 years, through Perestroika and Glasnost. Despite visiting so many mining and mineral locations I didn’t get the chance to visit Karelia – but maybe, one day I will....
What is Shungite?
Shungite is a Precambrian carbonaceous natural rock of organic origin. It is often referred to as a “healing stone” or even a “stone of life” due to its powerful healing and protective properties. Shungite is approximately 2 billion years old and it was formed long before life existed on our planet. Thus, it has been soaking up the energy of the Earth and space for eons. These powerful energies, along with its chemical composition and physical characteristics make Shungite truly unique and thanks to that, it is popular all over the world.
The current understanding of the structural state of fullerene-like forms of carbon and their relationship to Genesis is very uncertain. Published papers present often contradictory results about the conditions of their synthesis and structure. There is no consensus about the origin of the fullerenes found in various rocks.
Where does Shungite come from?
Shungite is found exclusively in the Republic of Karelia, the Russian Federation, where there are over 1 billion tons of Shungite. The largest Shungite deposit in the world is called Zazhoginsky mine at it is located on Zaonezhie peninsula in Karelia, near Shunga village which gave the rock its name.
What makes Shungite so special?
It's due to its unique structure comprised of 'fullerenes', which is an extremely rare chemical bond of atoms of carbon. Fullerenes are believed to be one of the most powerful antioxidants that shield our bodies from the effects of free radicals and other negative and harmful influences in our environment. The spherical molecules of fullerene in Shungite make it one of the most effective means of personal protection, healing, and water cleansing. Elite Shungite is the type of Shungite with the highest amount of carbon, so it has the largest number of fullerenes and thus is the most effective type.
It is the only natural material on the planet earth in which fullerenes have been discovered in their natural state.
What is the difference between Elite and regular Shungite? What are the three types of Shungite?
Shungite stones can be divided into three types depending on the amount of carbon.
· Type I Shungite is called Noble or Elite Shungite (sometimes Silver) and it contains from 90 to 98 per cent of carbon in it. Elite Shungite chunks, shards, nuggets and gravel have a shiny silvery surface and have a great energetic potential due to the high percentage of carbon. The deposits of Elite Shungite are extremely scarce and Elite Shungite amounts for less than one per cent of all Shungite found in the world. It is usually dug carefully by hand in rocks while types II and III Shungite are more available for industrial excavation in quarries.
· Type II Shungite got his name from the Russian Emperor, Peter the Great, and is known as Petrovsky Shungite. This type of Shungite is quite rare and contains about 75% of carbon. It can also be easily cut and polished like regular Shungite, but in terms of properties and crystal energy Petrovsky Shungite is closer to Type I, Elite Shungite. Please note, later in this series of Blogs, there is reference to only two types of Shungite which is the pure scientific mineral assessment of Shungite. Type II (Petrovsky) is not recognised as a distinctly separate type of Shungite
· Type III Shungite is usually called regular Shungite stone or ore and it contains from 30 to 50 per cent of carbon. All the shaped products you will find like pyramids, spheres, bracelets, etc. are made of regular Shungite since it amounts for the largest part of Shungite found in Karelia and can be easily shaped and polished.
FACT: recently it was found that these unique carbon balls are even in the outer nebulae of space.
Lake Onega Karelia, Russia: the cleanest natural water lake in the world
More on Shungite to follow....