How to test for genuine Shungite

Below are our suggestions for ensuring your Shungite is authentic.

Touch it and examine it:

If you have already worked with shungite in the past, you must have noticed that it sometimes leaves black stains when touched. Raw stones, even processed regular shungite stones, leave some residue whenever you hold them. This comes from a high percentage of carbon in shungite’s composition and is next to impossible to imitate. Thus, after you receive your shungite piece, try to hold it for some time.  However, there can be some cases when, due to how a shungite product is produced, it was stripped of residue, so if you are unsure, you can check its authenticity with other methods.

Raw Elite Shungite’s authenticity is usually easier to check since it is tough to make a believable forgery. Elite shungite has a unique silvery surface and is extremely fragile, to the point that even holding it in your hand can break off small nuggets. With larger pieces, this is not so evident. However, if you see that your elite stone has infusions of other colours, don’t worry. These are just other minerals, like pyrite, which can fuse to shungite after millennia of lying in the ground together.

Testing Shungite with a Multi Meter.

Genuine Shungite is a good conductor of electricity, which can easily be tested with a multimeter.

1. Set your multimeter to measure resistance

2. Select auto range if your meter has this feature; otherwise, use the lowest range setting. In most meters, this is 200 Ohms. Shungite has a very low resistance, and using a low range will give the highest-resolution result. If you set the range too high, the resolution of the reading will be low, and the result will always be zero.

3. Firmly contact both probes with the item under test and hold them steady to allow the measurement to settle.

You should see a reading of 1 – 10 Ohms.

By comparison, the highest conductors are – Silver, Gold and Copper. Sterling Silver and 9ct Gold have a reading of approximately .3 Ohms, and Natural Copper has a reading of roughly 5 Ohms.

Things that can affect your measurement.

1. The range setting of your resistance measurement. If you want to see the actual ” value ” of resistance, use the suggested process as above. When measuring Shungite, set the range to 200k Ohms or higher if you want to see a zero reading.

2. The distance between the probes and the piece’s orientation will change the reading. However, all readings should be in the range of 1-10 Ohms.

3. If you use a polished piece, it is harder to make the electrical connection as a coating covers the Shungite. It will conduct, but it may show a higher resistance. Measurements on polished pieces also seem to take longer to settle.

Another way to test Shungite’s authenticity is with a battery-powered torch. However, this may not be as accurate as using a multi-Meter!

1. Unscrew the back of the torch so the end of the battery is exposed.

2. Press the Shungite against the battery.

3. If the Shungite is authentic, the torch will light up. 

4. If you use a polished piece, it is harder to make the electrical connection as a coating covers the Shungite. It will conduct, but it may be more challenging or less evident.