Nuummite is a dark rock from Greenland, not a single mineral. It is made of two amphiboles with sulfide flecks, which give the gold and blue-green flashes. It is also one of the oldest gem rocks, about 2.8 billion years.
Amphibole rock (anthophyllite and gedrite, with sulfides)
Nuummite
Nuumita
- Palette
- Black Gray Multicolor
- Mined in
- Greenland, Mauritania
- Hardness
- Mohs 5.5–6.0 ?
- See-through
- opaque
- Known since
- 1810
- Named for
- the Nuuk area of Greenland, where it was found
- Also sold as
- Greenland nuummite, jenakite (a blue-green Mauritania variety)
- Intention
- Calm
- Looking for
- Rest and meditation Focus and clarity
- Water
- Keep it dry; wipe with a soft cloth
- Dye or finish
- Nuummite is a rare Greenland rock sold as natural polished beads. We found no bead-trade statement about dye or heat, so ask the seller.
Not in our pieces now
2.8 BILLION YEARS
Nuummite's original rock formed about 2.8 billion years ago in the Archean, and was reheated and reshaped twice after that.
K. L. GIESECKE
Mineralogist K. L. Giesecke first found nuummite in 1810, in the Nuuk area of Greenland.
ISUA BELT
Near Nuuk, where nuummite comes from, the Isua greenstone belt holds rocks that are 3.7 to 3.8 billion years old, among the oldest on Earth.
What it is
Nuummite is a rare dark metamorphic rock from Greenland, black to gray and opaque, with a glassy shine. Polished pieces flash gold, copper and blue-green bands as you turn them.
What gives it its color
Nuummite is a dark rock made of two amphibole minerals, anthophyllite and gedrite, and its rainbow flash comes from extremely thin alternating layers of the two; the golden bands in polished pieces are sulfide minerals such as pyrite, pyrrhotite and chalcopyrite.
Where it comes from
Nuummite was found around Nuuk in West Greenland, where it occurs in eight places within about 50 km of the town; a similar material was found in central Mauritania in 2009.
What's said about it
In crystal lore, nuummite is a stone for turning inward. It's said to be kept by people who set aside quiet time to meditate and disconnect for a while.
People hold it during meditation, rest it on the brow in a dark, quiet room, or carry it in a pocket.
How people wear or keep it: Resting on the brow, held in the hand, in a pocket, or in a quiet room.
In crystal practice
In the crystal tradition, nuummite 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: resting on the brow, held in the hand, in a pocket. People reach for it when they want rest and meditation, focus and clarity, 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
ElementEarth
Also calledGreenland nuummite, jenakite (a blue-green Mauritania variety)
Care
- Moderately soft for a dark stone, so keep it from scratching against harder stones.
- Clean with a soft dry cloth; if needed, a barely damp cloth, then dry at once.
- Keep it away from harsh chemicals and ultrasonic cleaners.
- Store it wrapped, apart from harder stones.
How to tell what you have
- Real nuummite is black, opaque and shimmers in gold, copper and blue-green as you turn it, from tiny layers inside the rock.
- The shimmer shifts with the angle of light, while a flat printed-on or glued-on pattern does not. It is moderately hard (5.5 to 6 on the Mohs scale).
Questions people ask at our table
What is nuummite?
Nuummite is a dark rock made mainly of two amphibole minerals, anthophyllite and gedrite, with traces of sulfides that give the metallic flash. It comes from the Nuuk area of Greenland.
Why is it so rare?
It is found in one small region and is very old, about 2.8 billion years. The rock formed deep in the crust and later reshaped itself under heat and pressure.
Is the rainbow shimmer natural?
Yes. Thin layers inside the amphibole crystals bend the light, and tiny sulfide grains add gold or copper flecks. Be wary of black stone with a perfectly even rainbow film, which can be coated.
How is it different from black labradorite?
Labradorite is a feldspar that flashes one blue or green sheen in one direction. Nuummite is a rock of many fine fibers, with scattered gold, copper and blue-green flashes.
Do you carry nuummite?
Not at the moment. Black labradorite, silver obsidian and black onyx give a similar dark, flashing look.
Not in our pieces right now
Stones we do carry that are close to it are listed under related stones.
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