Shungite Polished Blocks Ethically Sourced from Russia

While most stones and crystals have a easy to understand and universal grading system, shungite is a bit different. Tumbled and polished shungite products are almost exclusively made from the more common (but still incredibly rare) type III grade stones. These stones are often referred to as regular grade and have a deep black color and contain a carbon content of between 30-50%.

Type II shungite, also known as Petrovsky shungite has a carbon content around 50-70%. This variety is most often kept in its raw form and sold as specimens. Since these stones have some luster and shine along with a grey appearance, they can sometimes be confused or passed off as the more expensive elite shungite.

The highly sought-after type I shungite is known as elite or noble shungite. This variety is exceptionally rare as it contains over 95% carbon and is very reflective and silvery in appearance. It is never worked or polished as it is extremely fragile and larger pieces can be incredibly valuable. A one kilogram (2.2 pound) intact piece of noble shungite can easily sell for many thousands of dollars.

Real authentic shungite is only found in one place in the world, the Republic of Karélia, in Russia. There are claims that shungite deposits exist elsewhere in places like Colombia. However, every geologist that has studied the Colombian material agrees that while it is remarkably similar in appearance, it cannot be classified as shungite given that the age of the stones is in the millions of years. True Russian shungite has been dated to be over 2 billion years old in comparison. Considering the fact that these stones were made from the very earliest of lifeforms on the planet and only occur in one known location, it is easy to see why shungite is so highly sought after.

Keep in mind that since shungite is such a delicate and porous stone it will create some level of black carbon dust (even in polished pieces) which is completely normal to experience. If using shungite for its purification properties, it is recommended to first rinse the stones briefly under running water to remove any surface impurities.