Okenite is a real mineral that grows as soft white puffs of fine fibers, which is why it is called cotton ball stone. It is fragile, so it is a display piece, and we do not carry it.
Silicate (hydrous calcium silicate, zeolite-associated)
Okenite
Okenita
- Palette
- White
- Mined in
- India, Azerbaijan, New Zealand, Chile, Ireland, Faroe Islands
- Hardness
- Mohs 4.5–5.0 ?
- See-through
- translucent
- Known since
- 1828
- Named for
- Lorenz Oken, a German naturalist
- Also sold as
- cotton ball stone, cotton candy stone
- Intention
- Calm Love
- Looking for
- Change and decisions Relationships Calm
- Water
- Keep it dry; wipe with a soft cloth
- Dye or finish
- Okenite is usually sold natural, as white cotton-ball-like clusters. No fetched seller page covers it, so ask about dye or coating.
Not in our pieces now
OKENFUSS
The naturalist behind okenite's name was born Lorenz Okenfuss and later shortened it to Oken.
ISIS, 1816
Lorenz Oken began publishing his journal Isis in 1816; Weimar banned it, so it was printed at Rudolstadt until 1848.
LEIPZIG, 1822
Oken pushed for yearly meetings of German natural scientists, and the first took place in Leipzig in 1822.
What it is
A white, fluffy-looking mineral that grows as soft puffs of hair-thin fibers, which is why people call it cotton ball stone. It forms inside cavities in volcanic rock, mostly in India. The fibers are flexible but brittle, so it is a display piece rather than a bead.
Where it comes from
Okenite is mostly found in the state of Maharashtra in India, where it forms white cotton-ball clusters in basalt cavities, and also at Disko Island in Greenland, Chile, Ireland, New Zealand and the Faroe Islands.
In history
Okenite was first described in 1828 from Disko Island, Greenland, and named for the German naturalist Lorenz Oken (1779 to 1851), a leader of the German nature-philosophy movement who founded the scientific journal Isis. Maharashtra, India, is among its other sources.
What's said about it
In crystal lore today, okenite is a reminder to bend instead of break when things change. People set it where they will see it often.
It is also placed in a kitchen, living room or office, where it is said to help the people sharing the space understand each other.
How people wear or keep it: In a kitchen, in a living room, or in an office.
In crystal practice
In the crystal tradition, okenite is paired with the crown 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 a kitchen, in a living room, in an office. People reach for it when they want change and decisions, relationships, 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.
ChakraCrown
ZodiacSagittarius, Virgo
Also calledcotton ball stone, cotton candy stone
Care
- The fibers crush easily: handle it as a display piece and do not squeeze it.
- Dust with a soft brush, and do not wash it.
- Keep it in a box so it stays clean and unflattened.
- Not suited to a bracelet or ring.
How to tell what you have
- Okenite forms soft, white, fibrous puffs inside volcanic rock, and the fibers are flexible but fragile (hardness 4.5 to 5).
- Other white fibrous zeolites such as natrolite and scolecite look similar; fibers are hard to tell by eye, so ask where it came from.
Questions people ask at our table
What is okenite?
A real mineral that grows as soft white puffs of fine fibers, usually inside cavities in volcanic rock. The puffs are why it is called cotton ball stone.
Can I wear it?
Hardly. The fibers are flexible but brittle, and it is rated about 4.5 to 5, so it is kept on a shelf in a box.
Where does it come from?
Mostly the Maharashtra region of India, with smaller finds in Azerbaijan, New Zealand, Chile, Ireland and the Faroe Islands.
Is it dyed?
It is naturally white, sometimes with a faint yellow or blue tint. Colored pieces have been dyed.
Do you carry it?
No. Howlite and clear quartz are the nearest white stones that we carry.
Not in our pieces right now
Stones we do carry that are close to it are listed under related stones.
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