What is the Black Powder?

If you’ve ever unwrapped a piece of shungite and noticed a fine black residue on your hands, you’ve encountered one of the most fascinating natural materials on Earth: fullerene powder.

The Science Behind the Black Powder

That powder isn’t dirt or random dust — it’s made of C60 fullerenes, carbon molecules shaped like tiny soccer balls. These fullerenes occur naturally in shungite, making it one of the only known natural sources of them on Earth.

C60 has been the subject of exciting scientific research. In a groundbreaking 2012 study, scientists found that when C60 was carefully processed and given to laboratory rats, it dramatically extended their lifespan while protecting them against oxidative stress.

Why Particle Size Matters

The black powder in raw shungite is safe to touch, but it isn’t the same as the purified form used in research. In that study, the fullerene powder was ground down to about 9 nanometers in size, which made all the difference:

  • Small enough to move through the bloodstream and circulate throughout the body.

  • Large enough not to freely cross the blood-brain barrier, ensuring balance and safety.

  • Biologically stable, avoiding the risks associated with smaller, unstable nanoparticles.

How We Treat Shungite at Verified Shungite

At Verified Shungite, we take the handling of this powder seriously. Here’s what we do:

  • Ultrasonic Cleaning: Every stone we sell is cleaned ultrasonically to remove excess powder, leaving you with a polished, safe, and beautiful product.

  • Avocado Blend Topical Oil: We go further by refining fullerene powder into a usable form. We grind it to 9 nm, then agitate it for two weeks in complete darkness to create a stable, optimum suspension in avocado oil. This results in a silky topical that delivers both the antioxidant benefits of C60 and the nourishing qualities of avocado oil.

The Takeaway

So the next time you see that black powder on your hands, you’ll know what it is: C60 fullerenes, the same molecules that inspired scientists to study life-extension and antioxidant protection.

On its own, the powder is safe to touch but not meant to be eaten or inhaled. When refined and stabilized, like in our Verified Shungite avocado oil blend, it becomes an exciting ingredient for topical skincare and wellness.

✅ Key Message: The black powder on shungite is fullerene C60, a molecule with powerful scientific significance. We clean it from our stones ultrasonically, and when refined, we use it in topical oils to safely unlock its benefits.

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