By: Hettie Basil Lighttower

What do cobalt blue glassware and shungite have to do with anything? Well first of all, what are they??? The blue glassware many moons ago was colored with the mineral cobalt during the glass making process. The process plus cobalt created this glorious shade of blue! You may have thought that the color came from dyes or pigments. But indeed it came from cobalt the mineral.
And more about that in a moment. Let’s answer the question about shungite! This interesting rock very much resembles pyrite in that is is extremely shiny but is a grey black in color similar to hematite. The shine is more pronounced than hematite in the way pyrite is. Shungite is found naturally in Russia for the most part and specifically in a village called Shunga of the region called Karelia. But it has also been discovered in India, Austria, the Congo and Kazakhstan.
As a matter of fact, I just recently acquired some shungite! It is very light in weight and is very shiny. My piece is in the raw form. And I had never heard of it before until recently. I kept running across articles about the benefits of shungite. You know all those wifi devices we use these days? They put off a certain amount of electromagnetic frequencies (EMFs). And those frequencies are not safe or healthy for us or animals or plants.
This mineral creates a buffer and absorbs the EMFs from our cellphones and laptops and other wireless devices. So, not only is it a pretty shiny rock, it protects us and makes us healthier. It is 98%carbon and some consider it to be one of the rarest mineraloid in the world. There are special molecular forms of carbon in the composition of this rock that have only been found in THIS rock and no where else.
This stone has been used to purify and disinfect water. Isn’t it strange to think that a stone has antibacterial properties? There’s a type I, II and III of this mineral. The type I is the shiniest. All the types are useful and some are used in jewelry and other EMF protection products.
So while shungite purifies and disinfects water and saves us from EMF stuff, cobalt blue glass infuses the mineral cobalt into our drinking water. The benefit of that is elevation of hydration! Seems like a little phrase we should have learned about on Sesame Street! “Sing along with me now….Elevation…… of your Hydration!……la la la…..la…la…..” So what if we have a little fun while we learn new big words?!
Cobalt blocks out UV rays that degrade the quality of our drinking water. When the sun shines directly into our glass of water without that blue blocking ability, bacteria are quick to grow. This unique color also makes us happy when we see it! And that adds quality to our mental health!
You may remember a time when medicine bottles were made of cobalt blue glass or even amber glass. There is a reason for this. Both help to maintain the integrity of what’s inside without the risk of damage from certain UV rays from natural or manmade lighting. If you choose to use cobalt blue water glasses or pitchers you are making a proactive choice to enhance your water’s integrity and longevity.
On a frequency level, this beautiful blue not only makes us happy when we see it, but it promotes mental clarity and focus as well. It has been known to be used to facilitate emotional well-being and stability. The unique properties of this cobalt in glass really do transform your drinking water into a dynamic elixir! Why settle for less?
As always, feel free to send in your notions and comments to [email protected]. I will include them in the next available column as per their arrival relative to the publication deadline of Tuesday by 12 p.m. of the same week. If you wish to be anonymous, let me know. Kindness is contagious~*