Charoite is a natural stone found in one place on earth, in Siberia. Its swirling purple looks dyed but is not.
Silicate
Charoite
Charoita
- Palette
- Purple White Black
- Mined in
- Russia
- Hardness
- Mohs 5.0–6.0 ?
- See-through
- translucent
- Known since
- 1978
- Named for
- the Chara River in Siberia
- Also sold as
- charoitite (the rock)
- Intention
- New Beginnings Calm
- Looking for
- Letting go Rest and meditation Change and decisions
- Water
- Keep it dry; wipe with a soft cloth
- Dye or finish
- Charoite beads are sold either natural or stabilized with a hardener to improve polish. The purple color itself is natural.
Not in our pieces now
70 KM
Charoite is named for the Chara River, though the Murun site where it was found lies about 70 kilometers (43 miles) away.
200 TO 250°C
Charoite formed at roughly 200 to 250°C, where a syenite intrusion altered limestone into potassium feldspar rock.
1,454 METERS
The Murun massif, the world's only source of charoite, is about 20 kilometers across and its summit stands 1,454 meters high.
What it is
A natural stone of swirling, fibrous lilac to deep violet, with a silky shimmer that shifts as it turns. Black flecks (usually aegirine), white or tan patches and small greenish spots are common. The color looks so intense that people often suspect dye, but it is natural.
What gives it its color
The purple comes from the charoite mineral itself; the black flecks are a dark pyroxene (aegirine or augite) and the white flashes are tiny feldspar.
Where it comes from
Charoite is found in only one place in the world, the Murun Massif in the Sakha Republic of Siberia, Russia.
In history
Charoite is found in only one place, the Murun massif in the Sakha Republic of Siberia, where it was first noticed in the 1940s and known locally as the lilac stone. Early on it was suspected of being dyed, and it was formally described as a mineral in 1978.
What's said about it
In crystal lore today, charoite is a violet stone people keep for spiritual practice and for letting go of old patterns. It is traditionally associated with the third eye.
Few stones are as new to the shelf: it was only described to science in 1978. That makes its lore modern rather than ancient.
People hold it in meditation, wear it as jewelry or keep it where they sit quietly.
How people wear or keep it: On the wrist, on the forehead in meditation, in a meditation space, or on a desk.
In crystal practice
In the crystal tradition, charoite is paired with the third eye 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: on the wrist, on the forehead in meditation, in a meditation space. People reach for it when they want letting go, rest and meditation, change and decisions, 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.
ChakraThird Eye
ZodiacSagittarius, Scorpio, Virgo
ElementAir
Also calledcharoitite (the rock)
Care
- Medium hardness (Mohs 5 to 6): it will scratch against quartz and harder gems, so store it apart.
- Clean with a soft cloth and lukewarm water with a little mild soap, then dry at once.
- Keep away from acids, strong cleaners and ultrasonic cleaners.
- Avoid hard knocks and long soaking.
How to tell what you have
- Charoite is natural swirling lilac to deep violet with a silky shimmer, often with black flecks. The color is strong enough that people suspect dye, but it is natural.
- The only known source is Russia, so a stone sold as charoite from elsewhere deserves a question.
- It is soft (5 to 6) and sensitive to heat and acids, so no steam or ultrasonic cleaning.
What sets the price
Strands cost more when the purple swirl pattern is clear and attractive, the color is pleasing, the polish is good and a silky glow shows in the stone; shape and bead size also change the price.
Rules and sourcing
Charoite beads are sold either natural or stabilized with a hardener to improve polish. The FTC jewelry guides call for a seller to disclose stabilizing.
Questions people ask at our table
What is charoite?
A rare silicate mineral known from one place, the Murun Massif in Siberia. Bead material is often charoitite, a rock made mostly of charoite with black, white and green mineral flecks in it.
Is charoite dyed?
No, the swirling purple is natural, and its intensity made early buyers suspect a fake. Very uniform, bright violet beads sold under the name deserve a question.
How is it different from sugilite and amethyst?
Sugilite is also purple and can have black flecks, but it lacks the swirling, silky pattern. Amethyst is clear quartz and much harder, with no swirls.
Where does it come from?
Only the Aldan Shield in Sakha, Siberia, Russia, where a syenite intruded into limestone.
How do I look after it?
Wipe it with a soft cloth and keep it from knocks. At Mohs 5 to 6 it scratches more easily than quartz.
Not in our pieces right now
Stones we do carry that are close to it are listed under related stones.
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