1.5" Polished Shungite Spheres

Named after the village in Russia nearest to the location in which it was discovered, shungite is a rather interesting mineraloid. This carbonaceous mineraloid formed roughly 2 billion years ago via biological processes. Stratigraphy of the surrounding rock suggests that shungite formed in layers below evaporative carbon shelves. This is indicative of the presence of mud volcanoes and paleoproterozoic bacteria. This was confirmed by the discovery of layered shungite and stromatolite fossils in Africa.

This mineraloid is typically a lustrous, reflective silver to black that exhibits a fracture pattern very similar to that of obsidian or glass. Shungite lacks any crystalline structure, which is why it is classified as a mineraloid.

Stones that contain shungite are often referred to as shungite, but shungite only refers to the actual mineraloid. For a stone to be accurately considered shungite it must contain at least 98% carbon by weight. It has also been reported to contain trace amounts of fullerenes.

Collectors may enjoy a variety of properties linked to shungite: its similarity to glass, its brilliant reflective luster, and its apparent water purification capabilities. Overall, shungite is quite a snazzy substance to behold.