Kyanite is an aluminum silicate that’s a unique and beautiful stone.  Its name is from the Greek word for blue, and its not only lovely but also used in a variety of manufacturing processes.  One of its interesting features is that has a wide variation of hardness across the same crystal:  a 4.5 on the hardness scale along the length of the crystal, and a 7 across the width. Kyanite is associated with the minerals andalusite, sorundum and staurolite. It is extracted from alluvial deposits at Villa Rica, Brazil. Rare, colorless kyanite is found at Machakos, Kenya. Very fine kyanite crystals, found in association with staurolite, are found in the schists of St Gotthard, in the Tyrol Mountains of Switzerland. Other major locations for kyanite are Switzerland, Yugoslavia, Kenya, India, Myanmar, the European Alps, and Australia. Kyanite can also be found in the United States, in Yancey County, North Carolina, Madison County, Montana, and various locations around Massachusetts (including in central Vermont!)  and North Carolina.

Metaphysical: Kyanite contains the virtue of self-healing. It is a stone that is useful for those who are working to take responsibility for their own health. It helps the wearer develop a better sense of their poor health conditions, concerning matters of emotional weariness, physical fatigue, or the results of an imbalanced diet. Kyanite also possesses virtues of calm and tranquility, and is therefore useful for those who have difficulty with meditation. Kyanite is also used to embrace love and encourages us to take risks for love.