In crystal lore today, black kyanite is the stone people use to brush away negativity. They hold it like a comb and sweep it down through the air around the body, head to feet.
Silicate (aluminosilicate) · Kyanite
Black Kyanite
Cianita negra
- Palette
- Black Gray
- Mined in
- Brazil, Italy
- Hardness
- Mohs 4.5–7.0 ?
- See-through
- opaque
- Known since
- 1789
- Named for
- Greek kyanos, 'dark blue' (the kyanite part)
- Also sold as
- witch's broom, reticite, raethicite, black kyanite fan
- Intention
- Protection
- Looking for
- Clearing negativity Protection Calm
- Water
- Keep it dry; wipe with a soft cloth
- Dye or finish
- Kyanite is rarely changed, because it is sensitive to heat. Black kyanite in fan or blade form is usually sold natural; ask if a strand is dyed.
Not in our pieces now
4.5 TO 7
Kyanite measures 4.5 to 5 on the Mohs scale along the length of the crystal but 6.5 to 7 across it, so one stone has two hardnesses.
1,100 °C
Above 1100 °C kyanite breaks down into mullite and glassy silica, which is why it goes into furnace linings and electrical insulators.
What it is
Kyanite that is gray to black, usually grown as flat fans of blades like a hand of cards. A dealer listing ties the dark color to graphite inside the crystal. It is sold as fans and blades and is not a common bead material.
Where it comes from
Black kyanite in fan shapes comes from Minas Gerais, Brazil, including Nova Era, and dark gray sprays are found at Minas Novas.
In history
Kyanite was long known by the name disthene, meaning 'two strengths', because it is hard in one direction and softer in another. Because it keeps its strength at very high temperatures, it has been made into porcelain spark plug insulators and brake linings.
What's said about it
It is the dark form of kyanite, usually grown as flat fans of gray to black blades. A dealer links the color to graphite inside the crystal. For the blue stone, see our kyanite page.
The blades are soft along their length and split easily. People keep a fan on a shelf or desk and handle it by the base.
How people wear or keep it: In the hand, swept like a comb, on a shelf or desk, or in a bag, wrapped.
In crystal practice
In the crystal tradition, black kyanite is paired with the root chakra, so practitioners rest it there during meditation or lie down with it in place for a few quiet minutes. Day to day, the same tradition suggests keeping it close: in the hand, swept like a comb, on a shelf or desk, in a bag, wrapped. People reach for it when they want clearing negativity, protection, calm, and many set an intention when they put it on. Most practitioners cleanse a new stone first (running water only if the stone can take it, otherwise smoke or moonlight) and set it aside now and then to rest.
These are beliefs people have held and still hold about the stone, reported as such. Nothing here is a promise or a medical claim. We sell stones as jewelry, not for these effects.
Associations
The chakra and star sign this stone is usually matched with. These are popular traditions, not facts about the stone.
ChakraRoot
ZodiacAries, Libra, Pisces
Also calledwitch's broom, reticite, raethicite
Care
- Like all kyanite its hardness depends on direction: about 4.5 to 5 along the blade and 6.5 to 7 across it. Handle it as a soft stone.
- It cleaves cleanly along the blade, so tips and edges nick and split with a knock.
- Brush or wipe with a soft dry cloth and skip ultrasonic and steam cleaners.
- Hold fans by the base, not the tips, and keep them wrapped and away from harder stones.
How to tell what you have
- Kyanite forms flat blades and is much softer along the blade than across it, so a steel needle scratches it easily one way and barely the other way.
- Black or dark gray blades can be other dark minerals or dyed stone, so check for color pooling at the drill hole and ask the seller.
Questions people ask at our table
What is black kyanite?
It is kyanite whose crystals are dark gray to black, usually in fan shapes. A mineral dealer links the color to graphite inside the blades.
How is it different from blue kyanite?
It is the same mineral and has the same split hardness and easy cleavage. For the blue stone and its lore, see our kyanite page.
Is it natural or dyed?
Fans sold as black kyanite are natural crystals with their color coming from within. If a bead or strand looks uniformly jet black, ask the seller what it is.
Where does it come from?
The fans on the market are mostly from Minas Gerais in Brazil. The trade names reticite and raethicite refer to the Alps.
Can I get it wet?
Better not. It is soft along its blades and splits easily, so a dry soft cloth is the safer way to clean it.
Not in our pieces right now
Stones we do carry that are close to it are listed under related stones.
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