What Is Kyanite Used for?
Kyanite gets its name from the Greek word kyanos, which means blue. Although blue is the most commonly found color and the most sought, kyanite can be found in green, colorless, white, gray and black. Kyanite is a beautiful mineral and is used as a gemstone, but it's most sought for its refractory properties.
Uses In Ceramics
Kyanite is strong and heat resistant. These two properties make it highly popular in the ceramics world. It's used in kiln construction in bricks and mortar. It's often mixed with porcelain for everyday items including sinks, dentures and dishware. It's used as grog (ceramic filler) because it's highly shrink resistant and great for filling cracks.
Uses In Metal Smelting
Kyanite can withstand temperatures over 1100 degrees C. Resisting such high temperatures makes kyanite ideal for a mold or container for molten metal. Kyanite is often used in monolithic refractories for smelting iron and steel.
Used With Abrasives
Though kyanite itself isn't used as an abrasive, its interlocking grain structure makes it ideal as a binding agent for abrasive substances. Kyanite might be used to hold a grinding wheel together, for example.
Gemstones
Kyanite is known as an anisotropic mineral, meaning it has a hardness lengthwise of between 4 and 5 on the Moh Scale and between 6 and 7 crosswise. This discrepancy makes it difficult to cut and thus rare as a gemstone. Perhaps because of its deep blue color and rarity, it's popular among collectors of exotic gemstones.
Spiritual Uses
Kyanite is one of the few minerals that never needs spiritual cleansing. It repels negative energy, making it perfect for promoting mental clarity. Kyanite opens your mind to learning, aids in creative expression and helps you gain inner peace.
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