Shungite stone is a unique mineral which can be found exclusively in Karelia. It originates from Precambrian period and is the only stone that contains fullerenes.

The name of shungite stone derives from Shunga village in Karelia, where one of the first large deposits of shungite was found. The name was given by professor Alexander Aleksandrovich Inostrantsev back in 1885. Professor Inostrantsev also wrote the first in-depth scientific work about shungite which later became widely recognized all over Europe and attracted attention to this unique shungite stone. However, the healing properties of shungite were well-known since the beginning of the 18^th century. Contributed by the insight of Karelian population and personal efforts of Czar Peter the Great, the first spa in Russia Martial Waters was opened in 1719. Springs situated in the area were believed to be affected by the nearby deposits of then-unknown black coal-like mineral. This started the wave of first, although inconclusive, studies of the mysterious shungite stone from Karelia. This slow-moving process in the end led to the much expanded work of Professor Inostrantsev.

Nowadays, after centuries of research there are a number of properties that shungite stone is known for.  First and foremost, shungite stone is famous for its water cleansing, disinfecting and mineralizing properties. Throughout last years it has also been vastly applied in agriculture since it is used for fertilizing and enriching soils. Shungite jewelry and décor items are very popular among people from around the globe. All these properties make shungite stone from Karelia such a useful and desired thing in peoples lives.

When speaking about shungite stone, we must bear in mind that there are three different types of shungite, each with its distinguishing features. The classification is basically built on the amount of carbon in stone structure.

1. The rarest type of shungite has up to 98 % of carbon in its structure. Only 1 % of all found shungite stones belong to this type, and that is why it bears a name “Elite shungite” or “Silver shungite” for its silver glance. Elite shungite is unique is the most efficient in filtering and protection.
2. Stones with 50-70 % of carbon amount are usually called “Petrovsky Shungite” or Type 2 Shungite. Its structure is not that fragile as of elite shungite which makes it possible to polish and process it.
3. Shungite with 30-50 % of carbon is regular shungite. It is grey when non polished and raw and it gets black color after being polished. It is commonly used not only as jewelry and healing crystals but also in construction and industry. This type is the most common in bracelets, necklaces and other jewelry as well as pyramids and spheres.