Hypersthene Cabochon Teardrop Pendant

Some of the bravest work we do is quiet and inward, looking clearly at ourselves, at the parts we would rather not see and the gifts we have not yet claimed, and hypersthene keeps us company there. It is a dark, almost black stone, and when it is polished a soft metallic sheen slides across the surface as you turn it, like light on still water at dusk. Mineralogists now fold it into the same family as bronzite, but the older name has stayed with it among those who love it, and its classic home is Paul Island, off the coast of Labrador in Canada.

In modern crystal healing it sits at the Third Eye Chakra, the centre of inner vision in the Hindu and Vedic chakra system, well suited to its dark, reflective depth.

In crystal practice, hypersthene is the stone of inner sight. Held to the brow in meditation, it is sought for clearer images and insight, and for finding answers to problems we have been circling for a while. It is also a stone for befriending our shadow side, helping us meet the judged and hidden parts of ourselves with understanding rather than shame, and for giving clear shape to an intention we hope to bring to life. It is valued by anyone who works with visualisation.

Hypersthene keeps its secret until you move it. Tilt a polished piece slowly and a silvery bronze sheen drifts across the dark surface, there and gone, so you find yourself turning it again just to catch it. It feels dense and cool in the fingers, smooth as a river pebble. It is beauty of the understated kind, and a little mysterious.

Hypersthene tends to come out in reflective seasons: journalling through something difficult, a regular practice of self-inquiry, or sitting with a decision that needs more than logic. On a chain it rests close to the chest, an easy touchstone to hold for a moment of quiet. It is held during meditation and visualisation, and plenty of us simply love its dark, understated sheen with everyday clothes.

Hypersthene (Mohs 5-6) cleaves easily in one direction and can chip if knocked. Cleanse with running water, sound, moonlight, or smoke, keep it away from strong heat, and give it a pouch of its own so harder stones cannot mark it.