Charoite

Charoite is a beautiful stone.  I don’t see it used as often as other gemstones.  

Charoite is found only one place in the world, along the Charo River in the Murun Mountains in Yakutia, Russia. Discovered in the 1940‘s, it didn’t become well known until 1978. When found in the field, it’s an opaque and unattractive stone. It is formed when a syenite has intruded into and altered limestone deposits producing a potassium feldspar metasomatite. It is a discrete mineral rather than a rock.

raw charoite

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Charoite is translucent lavender to purple in color with a pearly lustre. Charoite is strictly massive in nature.   It has an unusual swirling, fibrous appearance. The colors range from bright lavender, violet and lilac to dark purple with swirling patterns of black Augite, transparent crystals of microcline feldspar, and/or orange Tinaksite.

Charoite is so unusual looking with its chatoyancey  and strange looking spirally strands of fibrous material that it is often mistaken for a synthetic. It is used extensively in jewelry and as an ornamental stone carved into boxes, bookends and vases. It ranges from 5 – 6 on the Mohs’ Scale. 

charoite cut and polished

 

 

 

 

 

Charoite has become a favorite of the “new age” gemstones.  According to lore charoite’s purple color, a sixth chakra color,  helps us combat our inner fears, brings us closer to spirit and shows us that even our deepest fears and anxieties can be replaced by empowering energies.   It has been said that if we are not completely manifesting our potential as human beings fear is in some way stopping us. Look for those areas in which you feel limited, and you will find a fear which blocks you.  Charoite will help to bring these fears to the surface.   It helps to make this process easier by also giving you a boost of courage and commitment to dissolve fear patterns. if you choose to meditate with this stone it’s often a good idea to allow time afterwards to think about what you’ve learned.Another way to work with charoite is to put it under  your pillow, especially if you are prone to disturbed sleep or fears which surface in dreams. In combination with amethyst, it will help to release these fears.I found a few weird color charoite beads at a gem and mineral show this spring.   They were not the deep purple color that I love so well, but a muddy mauve with swirls not of black but a chocolate brown.   Because they were not a true purple charoite, I suppose they are an inferior grade, but to me, they were perfect.  

Like many of the beads I buy, I’m never exactly sure what I am going to do with them until I do it.   These beads were big and chunky and funky and I tried them with other beads….they just didn’t look right.   This week I laid them next to some wine color Dione large hole beads I had left over from another project and there it was…..the perfect match.   Because they were big beads and I didn’t want them to be heavy pieces, I put them with some lightweight gunmetal chain and this is what I got.   I like them.   Sometimes, I make things I hate to part with.   This set will be one of them. 

charoite bracelet

charoite necklace and bracelet set

 

 

 

 

You can check them out here in my shop.