Published on September 23, 2019. Updated on July 22, 2024

Written by Regina Cal, Rustic Skills

Regina Cal is a professional prospector, rockhounder, and wilderness survivalist in the Arizona Mountains.

Shungite Stone is as unique as it is mysterious. Its origins are unknown and its physical properties are mystifying.

Although Shungite is plentiful, there is a single finite source that is eventually being depleted.

I stumbled upon Shungite while searching for different ways to purify water without chemicals. I was astonished to read that this stone can completely purify water! I also read that it can block electromagnetic frequencies (EMFs), and it also has powerful healing properties - Hmmm.

These are bold claims, I thought. Can a stone really have all of these capabilities?

I started to research and I found a few websites that spoke about these claims, but none had any evidence to really back it up.

I decided to dig deeper, and through much time researching, I managed to find scholarly articles and patents offering compelling evidence that the claims of Shungite are proven!

The evidence that I have found is so strong, I just had to write an article about it to help educate others about the reality of Shungite. 

In this article, I discuss the origins and chemistry of Shungite, scientific findings of Shungite's properties, the benefits of Shungite, any known side effects, a buyers guide to Shungite, and the future of this amazing miracle stone!

Part One: Information About Shungite

What Is Shungite?

Shungite is an anomalous stone of organic origin that is comprised of carbon.

Pure Shungite looks similar to pyrite, but with a silver tone instead of gold.

Shungite has the look and feel of pyrite. 

The stone in its purest form is quite brittle and can chip easily. It would not be suitable for faceting.

Shungite stone gets its powerful properties from an unusual carbon structure known as a fullerene. I will go into detail about fullerenes later in this article.

The Origins of Shungite Stone

Shungite was discovered near the small village of Shunga, which is how the stone got its name. Shunga is located in the Republic of Karelia, a part of the Russian Federation.

Although there are traces of Shungite found in a few other locales throughout Russia, the Zazhoginsky deposit is the only place where Shungite exists in vast reserves.

This vast deposit of Shungite weighs in at a whopping 35 million tons and is being mined out at a rate of 200 thousand tons per year.

Cave paintings in Russia by Lake Onega

Several hundreds of years ago, Lake Onega had become renowned through the local villages for its extremely pure water that had the ability to heal. Kings and queens would come and go throughout history, opening and abandoning thermal spas through the centuries.

Shungite has been forgotten and discovered for many cycles throughout history.

The most recent re-discovery was in the 1930s as the water from Lake Onega was tested for medical uses. The lake had a resurgence in popularity in the 70s as a thermal spa had opened once again.

Still, Shungite has only become popular in internet searches over the past couple of years.

The geology of Shungite stone

Shungite formed at the ripe old age of 2 billion years. There are many hypotheses about how Shungite was made.

The most adopted theory is that Shungite was created by the sedimenting of rich organic materials of primitive life forms into mud and silt.

These organic sediments accumulated into the Karelian craton that was rich in brackish water.

The organic material compressed with the mineral-rich brackish water into the craton and got heated up from the geothermal activity from below. This transformed the material through petrification and into what we know as Shungite. This process was also responsible for the creation of the molecular structure known as fullerenes.

An intriguing yet less popular hypothesis is that Shungite was formed from a meteor crashing into the earth. What is interesting about this idea is that there is evidence that a meteor did crash in close vicinity to the lake just a little earlier than Shungite was formed.

An even less popular opinion is that Shungite was made by lightning strikes. The reasoning for this idea is that lightning strikes actually create fullerenes, but since the amount made by lightning is so minuscule, this hypothesis is mostly discredited. It is an interesting notion nonetheless.

The different types of Shungite stone

There are three types of Shungite that all have a different appearance. The reason for the difference is the quantity of carbon the stones possess.

Type I Shungite - Elite Silver Shungite

This is the purest form of Shungite at a concentration of 98%.

The stone has a silvery semi-metallic sheen to it and can flake fairly easily.

Only one percent of Shungite in existence is Elite Shungite.

Composition of Elite Shungite

98% Carbon

0.9% Nitrogen and Oxygen

0.3% Hydrogen

0.8% Ash Content

Type II Shungite - Black Shungite

This type of Shungite is made up of 50-70% carbon.

This stone is a matte black mineral. It can be shaped and polished easily and is used to make EMF blocking discs and countertop pyramids.

Composition of Black Shungite

50-70% Carbon

3.5% Nitrogen and Oxygen

6.7% Hydrogen

3.3% Ash Content

Type III Shungite - Gray Shungite

This type of Shungite is made up of 30-50% carbon.

This stone is a matte gray mineral. You will not run into gray shungite on the retail market, it is used for industrial applications.

Composition of Gray Shungite

30-50% Carbon

3.5% Nitrogen and Oxygen

6.7% Hydrogen

3.3% Ash Content

56% Silicon Dioxide

8% various oxides and dioxides

How to Tell if Shungite is Real

Although fake Shungite is not a common problem, there have been reports of fake Shungite on the market. If people can make money at it, there will always be counterfeits! Luckily, there are very easy ways to circumvent this problem.

First, always buy from a reputable seller. I suggest purchasing solely from Karelian Heritage. I personally have purchased all my Shungite either directly from their online shop or from their official Amazon shop.

Second, you can conduct an extremely easy test to ensure your Shungite is real!

Shungite Authenticity Test

Shungite is naturally conductive. Therefore, we can perform a simple test to prove if Shungite is real.

You will need:

Light Bulb

Battery

Two wires (preferably copper)

Shungite

Place one wire on the positive side of the battery and one on the negative side of the battery. Place wires onto the bulb. The bulb will light. Now place the Shungite in between bulb and one wire. The bulb will still light if the Shungite is real. Easy!

Are there side effects of shungite stone?

Technically, there are no known side effects, but people may experience some energy disturbances from the stone. These could possibly be:

  • Insomnia
  • Too much energy
  • Increased pulse
  • Increased blood pressure

These side effects are directly related to the enormous amount of energy that Shungite can deliver to you. Remember how we talked about the expansion of the vital field?

This may be a very new and energetic sensation, and because of that, you may want to rotate wearing your stone until you get used to the extra energy.

Part Two: The Benefits Of Shungite 

As you can see, Shungite stone has some seriously unique properties that other carbon materials do not possess.

Because of these unique attributes, Shungite offers up some powerful capabilities that almost seem magical but are actually backed with scientific evidence - evidence that I will provide below in each section.

Shungite stones for water purification

The International Journal of Advanced Scientific and Technical Research released a compelling research paper on the influence of Shungite on water. The research was conducted by the Scientific Research Center of Medical Biophysics located in Bulgaria and the Biotechnology department of Moscow State University of Applied Biotechnology located in Moscow.

This is what they have found.

Due to its unique porous structure, Shungite adsorbs 95% of contaminants when coming into contact with its surface.

The types of contaminants that Shungite removes through adsorption are:

  • organochlorine compounds
  • phenols
  • dioxins
  • heavy metals
  • radionuclides

The types of contaminants that Shungite removes through absorption are:

  • oil
  • benzene
  • phenol
  • pesticides
  • chlorine
  • ammonia
  • heavy metals

Shungite has the ability to oxidize organic substances that are absorbed on the surface. Although this process is not entirely understood by scientists, Shungite is proven to be a powerful antioxidant and removes free radicals 30 times more effectively than activated carbon!!!

Free radicals formed during the treatment of water with chlorine and other chemicals have a negative impact on human health.

This table shows the performance of radical removal in water treated by Shungite:

Shungite has Antibacterial Properties

Shungite has strong bactericidal properties that efficiently disinfect drinking water from harmful bacteria.

It has been observed in this same study that Shungite eliminates pathogenic saprophytes and protozoa. Shungite performs a near complete removal of e.Coli from 2300/Liter of cells down to 3/Liter of cells.

Shungite does work best in conjunction with Zeolite and activated carbon.

Shungite And The Benefits It Brings To Water

So what exactly are the benefits of drinking Shungite water? After all, we have fancy filtration systems and chemical products that cleanse our water of viruses and bacteria. Why even bother with the extra step of making Shungite water?

As we learned, Shungites contain fullerenes which trap harmful chemicals and compounds within its hollow center. In return, Shungite deposits positive elements such as oxygen, magnesium, and calcium.

Fullerenes also have a powerful antioxidant effect which cleanses the body of carcinogens.

Because of the detoxifying effect of Shungite water, you can use it to boost your metabolism which can help you lose weight.

Water from Lake Onega has been used for thousands of years throughout mankind's history as a powerful detoxifying element. You can use this water for washing your face, making tinctures, using in teas and various drinks.

You can also add some Shungite to keep your aquariums clean and even use in ponds.

How To Make Shungite Water

You will need:

A pitcher (preferably glass)

8 cups of water

8 ounces of Elite Shungite Chips

Step 1: Rinse Shungite chips thoroughly

Step 2: Place Shungite chips into pitcher

Step 3: Fill pitcher with water

Step 4: Let sit for 24 to 72 hours (Do NOT place lid on pitcher, the water needs oxygen to work)

Step 5: Enjoy your cleansed Shungite drinking water!

You can buy these elite Shungite chips on Amazon here.

How to Clean Shungite Stones

Shungite chips need to be maintained once a month for maximum performance. They also need to be replaced periodically, about every six months to one year, or as needed.

  1. Mix 4 cups water with one tablespoon lemon juice.
  2. Place Shungite chips in water.
  3. Let sit for 8 hours.
  4. Pat chips dry on a towel.
  5. Place Shungite chips in sun for three hours, flipping over halfway through.

If you are looking for more alternative water filtration options, check out my article on whole house well water filtration systems and also my guide to gravity fed water filters.

Part Three: Shungite And Scientific Findings

Shungite and the Carbon Known as Fullerenes

The reason Shungite has such powerful properties is because of the carbon complex known as a fullerene. 

What is a Fullerene? The fullerene is a fairly recent discovery. It is a form of carbon that links together 60 carbon atoms into the shape of a soccer ball. The fullerene got its name from the scientist Richard Buckminster Fuller. He actually built a life-size replica of a fullerene without even realizing it!

This is Fuller with his geodesic dome that is shaped exactly like a naturally occuring fullerene!

What is highly interesting is that a fullerene molecule is completely hollow. This hollow nature allows for all sorts of toxin and radio wave absorption.

Fullerenes have been used in nanotechnology to create nanotubes. These carbon molecules have been replicated in laboratories to create synthetic fullerenes.

However, these man made fullerenes cannot be remotely compared to natural fullerenes as natural fullerenes are filled with unique gases, liquids, and minerals inside its hollow dome.

Fullerenes have extremely potent properties on electromagnetic fields, absorption of toxins, and on human health.

Shungite EMF Protection

Some people believe that Shungite blocks EMFs through metaphysical energies, but there is scientific evidence that Shungite has unique electrical properties due to its naturally conductive nature from the fullerenes.

I have read several articles about Shungite being touted as an EMF blocker, but no one seems to provide any scientific sources that Shungite can indeed block these frequencies.

I have taken the time and scoured scholarly articles and patents to find actual scientific evidence that Shungite has unbelievable electromagnetic absorbing powers and am sharing them with you today.

Let's dive into the research that supports the theory that Shungite can actually block electromagnetic frequencies!

Does Shungite Really Block Electromagnetic Frequencies?

I could not find the answer to this by merely skimming the net. Sure, there are videos showing Shungite blocking EMF from microwaves, modems, etc. But someone always finds a way to debunk these videos.

I needed to know more, and the only way to find out was to delve into scientific papers and patents.

I found three case studies that really convinced me Shungite does block EMF.

Shungite EMF Case Study Overview 

Case Study #1:  Method of containing radiation using fullerene molecules shows how a container made with Shungite was built to contain radiation. 

Case Study #2: Electromagnetic Wave Absorbing Properties of Amorphous Carbon Nanotubes are used to block radar frequencies.

Case Study #3: Electromagnetic wave absorption material and various items is a patent that uses Shungite as a coating to protect the circuit boards from electromagnetic interference. 

Case Studies in More Detail

The first case study is patent #US5640705A. This patent has been filed for utilizing fullerene carbon molecules to contain radiation from nuclear waste.

This nuclear waste containment system is comprised of fullerene carbon layers that prevent nuclear radiation from leaking out of the containment vessel.

nuclear containment vessel

Although there is a ton of information in this patent, if you look up the "Detailed Description" section, you will find this:

"C60 is the only single-layer Fullerene molecule that will completely contain high energy ionizing radiation. Under specific temperature and pressure conditions, C60 can completely absorb the five main types of harmful, high energy, ionizing radiation; namely, alpha, beta, gamma, X-ray, and neutron radiation."

The natural state of a fullerene present in Shungite is the 60 molecule structure. As stated in the quote, this type of fullerene carbon is capable of absorbing the five main types of harmful radiation.

This is because the natural fullerene works as an absolute vacuum as it is hollow on the inside. This vacuum filters out impurities in water along with absorbing electromagnetic frequencies and radio waves.
My second case study is a scholarly article released by Scientific Reports #5619 (2014).

In this experiment, carbon nanotubes were utilized to create a Radar Absorbing Material (RAM) to block radar stealth technology.

The study has shown that carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have excellent electromagnetic wave absorption performance due to its unique structure and extreme electrical conductivity.

Carbon nanotubes are created by fullerenes, which as we know are naturally present in Shungite.

We can then deduce that since carbon nanotubes are extremely efficient at blocking radar waves, the natural form of the fullerene has the power to absorb these waves as well.
My third case study is another patent JP2003243878A from Japan.
The invention in this patent is the development of a coating on a circuit board that blocks electromagnetic interference (EMI).

The invention uses a layer of Shungite (referred to as Shun Gaito) along with other layers of carbon to absorb EMI.

The patent claims that out of all the carbon materials used, the Shungite offers the best performance to eliminating the most EMI.

I have also found a couple of videos that show Shungite blocking EMFs in action:

If you feel you need more evidence, I suggest looking up "Shungite radiation absorption" in Google Scholar and Google Patents. It will give you several more case studies pertaining to this topic.

What Do I Personally Believe About Shungite Blocking EMF?

Wow, the case studies are really compelling and I suggest you give them a read for yourself. Personally, the scientific evidence does support that Shungite can block radiation, frequencies from radar, and electromagnetic interference. It is being used in devices and products all over the world, even the military has utilized Shungite in their equipment.

I feel comfortable saying that yes, Shungite does, in fact, protect you from EMF.

Now, lets say Shungite does not protect you from EMF. What do you really have to lose here?

First off, the stone is beautiful. You can purchase Shungite in spheres, pyramids, cubes, and in all kinds of different sizes. The jewelry looks great as well.

Secondly, Shungite is really not all that expensive in comparison to other natural materials. Its much less than crystals by weight and size. 

Worst case, you buy some Shungite, and you look great wearing it or you jazz up your home with some interesting conversation starters. Best case, Shungite does wonders and improves your quality of life. 

I will say that in my own personal experience, wearing Shungite simply makes me feel better, more balanced, and have more energy.

Part Four: Shungite Metaphysical Properties

The Healing Properties Of Shungite

As we all know, human beings are powered by electricity. Our neurons in our brains function by receiving electrical signals from cells. Our hearts beat from an electrical charge emitted by cells that cause a contraction.

A lesser known metascience, known as bioenergetics, explores human energy fields and the relation our energy has with the world around us.

Our bodies release an energetic field, known as the vital field, that interacts with our environment and ripples away from us like waves.

Bioenergetics

  • Life is an energy intensive process
  • It takes energy to move a muscle, breath, heal wounds, even to think
  • We emit an energetic field around us that interacts and is influenced by our environment

A person's vital field can vary greatly depending on the health of the person, the level of consciousness, and also influences from the environment.

We can also have a direct effect on our vital field by the food and drink we consume, where we hang out and who we hang out with.

Our vital field strives to stay in a state of homeostasis, a state of balance. However, it wouldn't surprise me that most (if not all) human beings that live in modern day society across the world are in a state of bioenergetic imbalance due to modern lifestyle choices and the bombardment of electromagnetic frequencies.

This is where Shungite comes into play.


Shungite and the Vital Field

Measurements of a person's vital field can be measured, and a study done on Shungite in relation to bioenergetic research has been performed. This study, done by Regina Martino (a bioenergetic researcher) has found that Shungite can actually increase our extending bioenergy field.

So what do these results mean?

Health Benefits of Shungite Stone:

1. It balances our bioenergetic field. A balanced energy field can remedy dysfunctions in the body, such as persistent and recurring illness, tiredness, depression, dullness, and any type of issues that can occur from energy imbalances.

2. It gives us protection from negative energies. As our vital fields become balanced and centered, a natural positive energy is restored in the body. Shungite can also absorb negative energies, much like it can absorb impurities in water and radiation.

3. It blocks us from EMFs. As we went over above, Shungite is scientifically known to block electromagnetic disturbances. As we are bombarded from every corner with radio waves, our vital energies become imbalanced and shrink. Shungite works to restore our energy field and protect us from these invasive waves.

4. Shungite does not take on a negative charge. The natural structure of the fullerenes in Shungite creates a vacuum that does not allow for taking on any negativity from frequencies, vibrations, and human emotions. The state of Shungite will always stay intact, no matter what it encounters.

If you have feelings of general malfeasance, have unexplained exhaustion, emotional or mental issues, lethargy, feelings of uneasiness, and anything to do with a potential energy imbalance in the body, Shungite can assist in restoring your well being.

If you are interested, this section of the article was inspired by reading Regina Martino's book: Shungite: Protection, Healing, and Detoxification. It is really quite fascinating!

Part Five: Shungite Buyer's Guide

I included this guide because it is highly important to purchase your Shungite from a reputable seller. Shungite comes from only one mine on earth, and there are fakes out there. I have included some links to products you may be interested that are the real deal.

Polished Shungite Pyramid, 4 inches

Buy On Amazon

Shungite EMF Protection Sticker

Now this is a conversation starter!

Buy On Amazon

Elite Shungite in Huge Chunks

Elite Shungite is more expensive, but it has the highest concentrations of Fullerenes and is absolutely stunning!

Buy On Amazon

An Attractive Shungite Bracelet

Buy On Amazon


Regina Cal is a professional prospector, rockhounder, and wilderness survivalist in the Arizona Mountains.

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Shungite Stone is as unique as it is mysterious. Its origins are unknown and its physical properties are mystifying. Although Shungite is plentiful, there is a single finite source that is eventually being depleted. I stumbled upon Shungite while searching for different ways to purify water without chemicals. I was astonished to read that this stone can (read more)

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