How to clean it
Soft brush and soapy water. No ultrasonic — kyanite has perfect cleavage in two directions.
Streaky blue, also green, black, orange
Kyanite
Properties
Composition
Aluminium silicate (Al₂SiO₅)
Hardness (Mohs)
4.5–7 (varies by direction)
Crystal system
Triclinic
Colour
Streaky blue, also green, black, orange
Mined in
Nepal, Brazil, India, Kenya, USA
Worth knowing
One of the few minerals with two hardness values: about 4.5 along the crystal and up to 7 across it. Cutting it requires knowing which way you are working.
History
Named from the Greek kyanos, "dark blue".
Practical
Caring for Kyanite
How to tell it is real
Distinctive enough to be rarely faked. The two-directional hardness is the test: it scratches easily along the crystal and resists across it.
One general rule covers most mistakes: never store stones loose together. Diamond at 10 on the Mohs scale scratches everything else you own, and it does not need much contact to do it.
What that hardness means in practice
Softer than household dust. Better in earrings or a pendant than in a ring, where it takes constant knocks.
Traditional associations
Kyanite is traditionally linked to clear expression and cutting through confusion. In chakra systems it is placed at the Throat, Third Eye, and in elemental correspondence it is assigned to Air.
These are cultural associations recorded across various traditions, not claims about physical effects. The composition and hardness above are measurable; this paragraph is folklore, and worth reading as such.
Questions
What is Kyanite made of?
Aluminium silicate (Al₂SiO₅), crystallising in the triclinic system.
Where does Kyanite come from?
Nepal, Brazil, India, Kenya, USA.
How do I clean Kyanite?
Soft brush and soapy water. No ultrasonic — kyanite has perfect cleavage in two directions.
How can I tell if Kyanite is real?
Distinctive enough to be rarely faked. The two-directional hardness is the test: it scratches easily along the crystal and resists across it.
Can I wear it every day?
At 4.5–7 (varies by direction) on the Mohs scale, not in a ring. Keep it to pieces that take fewer knocks.