Meaning & symbolism
An aluminium silicate that grows only under high pressure, kyanite forms long bladed crystals with striated faces and a pearly, almost satiny lustre. Its blue streaks and pools within a single blade rather than sitting evenly, which is one of the surest signs the colour is natural. Kyanite, andalusite and sillimanite share the identical formula Al2SiO5 and differ only in the pressure and temperature they crystallised under, which makes a kyanite blade a record of deep burial. Geologists use it as an index mineral for exactly that reason. It also occurs in green, black, white, grey, yellow and, rarest of all, an orange coloured by manganese from a single Tanzanian source.
Healing properties
Traditional uses
- Attunement and chakra alignment
- Honest, precise speech
- Dream recall and quiet meditation
- Not absorbing other people's moods
Mineral facts
- Aluminium silicate, Al2SiO5, triclinic
- High-pressure polymorph of andalusite and sillimanite
- Two hardnesses on one crystal, 4.5 to 5.5 along and about 7 across
- Perfect cleavage parallel to the blade
- Index mineral for metamorphic pressure zones
Main sources
- Brazil
- Nepal
- India
- Kenya and Tanzania
- Myanmar
- Switzerland
- Appalachian United States
How to use it
Carry a small blade on days that involve saying something difficult, and hold it for a moment before speaking. In meditation, lie down with a blade at the base of the throat pointing up along the body. Keep it on the bedside table rather than under a pillow, where it will split. In jewellery, favour pendants and earrings over rings and bracelets.
Cleansing & care
Kyanite has perfect cleavage running parallel to the blade and is only about 4.5 on the Mohs scale in that direction, so it splits rather than chips. Rinse polished pieces briefly and dry them; never soak, since water works into the partings of raw blades and lifts flakes, and iron-bearing matrix can stain. Store flat and separately from harder stones. Cleanse with sound, breath or smoke rather than water or salt. The widely repeated claim that kyanite never needs cleansing is tradition, not a testable fact.
Questions & answers
Briefly, yes, for polished pieces: it is a silicate and does not dissolve. Do not soak it. Its perfect cleavage lets water work into the splits of raw blades and lift flakes, and attached iron-bearing matrix can rust.
