If you've never heard of shungite, you might want to consider adding it to your crystal collection. It's a powerful grounding stone, among its other benefits, and its rich, black color makes it stand out among colorful crystals. From its history to its uses, here's the lowdown on this mineraloid.

History and types of shungite.

Shungite is technically not a crystal but a mineraloid (like amber, opal, or obsidian), due to its structure. But that doesn't make it any less powerful! Used for centuries, shungite has long been considered a stone for healing, with Peter the Great of Russia using it in his spa to purify water. Northwest Russia is actually where the largest and oldest source of shungite lies, with other deposits reported in Austria, India, Kazakhstan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Shungite is typically black but can range to a deep bronze color. It's opaque, but can have a shiny quality, making it look lustrous and metallic. The highest quality, or "elite shungite," is made up of at least 90% carbon, shiny in appearance, and recovered manually as opposed to through industrial mining. "Regular shungite" in industrially mined, matte black, and 30 to 50% carbon.

Shungite properties and benefits.

Author of Crystals for Healing Karen Frazier notes that shungite is extremely grounding and that it's also believed to help shield you from electromagnetic frequencies.

And according to Ashley Leavy, founder and educational director of the Love and Light School of Crystal Therapy, shungite can help you better integrate cosmic wisdom and karmic lessons, as "its high vibration helps to bring your spiritual body down into the physical plane."

"Shungite encourages you to learn more, to do more, and to push onward toward the next spiritual breakthrough," she says. "It's also associated with great cosmic mysteries and is said to bring light during times of darkness or uncertainty."

3 ways to use shungite:

1. Wear it as jewelry

For a simple ritual, Leavy recommends wearing a piece of shungite jewelry. "Any time you're feeling overwhelmed, bring your attention to the place where the stone is making contact with your physical body, close your eyes, and focus on your breath. Breathe in for a count of four, hold for a count of four, and then exhale for a count of four. This deep, rhythmic breathing will bring you back to your center and will help create stillness in your mind."

2. To ground yourself

Frazier suggests using shungite for grounding by sitting in a chair and holding a piece of shungite in your lap, feet firmly planted on the ground. "As you feel the weight of the shungite in your hands, visualize roots extending from the shungite into your root chakra, and then extending downward through the soles of your feet and deep into the earth," she says.

3. To receive ancient wisdom

And lastly, to connect with the ancient wisdom of shungite, Leavy says you can place some dried lemon verbena leaves and your shungite in a small pouch and tuck it into your pillowcase. "Before you go to sleep, set the intention to experience and remember a meaningful dream that will provide you with guidance about something that needs to be healed in your life," she notes. "It's said that shungite holds ancient energy, wisdom, and information, so it's the perfect stone to help you uncover the cosmic messages that come through for you from the Akashas."

How to take care of shungite.

It's always a good idea to take care of your stones and crystals so you can keep getting the most out of them. And when it comes to shungite, there's no shortage of ways you can cleanse and recharge it.

Leavy suggests using a visualization technique to cleanse, by holding the crystal in your hands and breathing deeply. "Visualize universal, healing light filling the stone until all negativity has been dissolved. See the light expand until it surrounds the stone and fills your hands. Intend that all negativity be removed from the stone and dissolved," she says. "When you intuitively feel that the stone has been cleared, you may stop the visualization."

You could also try using your own breath, with Leavy noting, "To clear a stone using your breath, you must first clear your mind of any outside thoughts. Then, hold the crystal in one hand and breathe out forcefully while quickly waving your other hand over the crystal."

Some crystals can be cleansed with water, particularly naturally flowing water like a stream. But because some crystals can be damaged by water and/or salt, Frazier says she likes to place her stones in a singing bowl and ring it, or use palo santo smoke to smudge them clean.

If you're in need of some grounding or want to tap into your spiritual wisdom, shungite could be a great option to help you do that. While "elite" shungite is more rare, regular shungite stills holds those properties and benefits, and either will make a great addition to your collection.

Nexus stocks an amazing collection of shungite available on our online store.