Black Stones: List, Shades, Symbolism, Dyeing and Care

One black, several materials

A stone is black when it absorbs almost all visible light. This can come from iron (black tourmaline, hematite), from carbon (jet, shungite), from very fine inclusions (obsidian, dyed agate) or from a dye (commercial black onyx). Under the single name “black stone” we find minerals, rocks, a volcanic glass and an organic material. Hardness, care and precautions therefore vary greatly from one stone to another.

The main black stones

A few details

Obsidian is a volcanic glass: it breaks into sharp shards, which served as cutting tools in prehistory. Handle raw pieces with care. Jet, a lignite, is a soft, light organic material; it was widely worn in mourning jewellery in the Victorian era, notably the pieces from Whitby (England). Black tourmaline (schorl) is a borosilicate with pronounced striations running along the length of the crystal. Hematite is a dark metallic grey, but its powder is red. Shungite, a carbon-rich rock from Karelia (Russia), stains the fingers; the idea that it “absorbs” electromagnetic radiation is not supported by science.

Lava stone is a porous basalt: it absorbs oils, which makes it a base for perfume for some people, but caring for it then becomes tricky (see salt and products).

What black evokes, across cultures

In Europe, black is the colour of mourning: Queen Victoria wore black for her widowhood until her death, and jet made it the typical jewellery of that era. It is also the colour of elegance and, since 20th-century fashion, of sobriety and power. But elsewhere black carries other meanings. In ancient Egypt it had a positive value: the root of the word kem, “black”, appears in the name of the country, Kemet, the “black land” of the fertile silt of the Nile, and black evoked rebirth and fertility. In ancient China, black is associated with water and the north.

In modern lithotherapy, black stones are associated with grounding and “protection”, sometimes with the root chakra. These are recent conventions without scientific basis; they can be read as a symbolic gesture (carrying a dark, solid object) rather than as an effect.

Dyes, glass and imitations

• Black onyx and black agate: the use is old, but the great majority of black pieces are pale chalcedonies that have been dyed. A perfectly uniform black is probably coloured. This is not a fault, provided it is stated.
• Black glass sold as obsidian, onyx or jet: glass is smoother, sometimes lighter, and may contain bubbles; real jet is warm to the touch and very light, while glass is cold.
• Magnetic hematite: very magnetic beads are “hematine”, a reconstituted material, not natural hematite.
• Plastics imitating jet: lighter, sometimes lukewarm, and can be scratched with a fingernail.

To tell real from fake, see real or fake stone.

Care and combinations

Hard black stones (tourmaline, spinel, onyx, agate) are rinsed in lukewarm water and dried. Obsidian is rinsed and wiped, without knocks. Jet, shungite, lava stone and hematite need gentle wiping; for details, see the purification table. In decoration, black adds depth to a composition: a black stone contrasts well with white (see white stones) or with gold (yellow stones).

Frequently asked questions

Also read

The meanings mentioned belong to tradition and symbolism. They are neither promises of results nor medical advice. Back to Guide to stones by color.