Shilajit is not manufactured. It is a dark exudate that seeps from cracks in steep mountain rock, and people collect it and then purify it: the raw material is dissolved in water or a herbal decoction, filtered to remove stone and debris, and dried back to a thick paste or solid. If you are thinking of taking shilajit, follow your doctor's advice before you start.
Two questions stay open. Nobody is certain how shilajit forms inside the rock, and "purified" can mean several different processes. Below is what published research and Ayurvedic texts say about each stage, and where the evidence runs out.
At a glance
- Shilajit is collected, not manufactured: it seeps from cracks in steep rock, and a 2020 field survey in Sichuan found exudation points mainly on sunny slopes of 60 degrees or steeper, between 2,000 and 4,000 metres.
- Its origin is still debated: decomposing plant matter over centuries, rock minerals, fossils and animal droppings have all been proposed, and a 2020 geological study says none is settled.
- Purification (shodhana) dissolves the raw material in water or a decoction such as Triphala, settles or filters out stone and soil, and dries the liquid, sometimes repeating the cycle.
- In one laboratory batch, Triphala shodhana cut total ash from 52.95 to 21.67 per cent at a yield of about 40 per cent.
- Filtering removes what does not dissolve, but no source read shows it removes heavy metals; only a batch test does, and raw shilajit should not be eaten unpurified.
Where does shilajit come from in the first place?
The honest answer is that its origin is still debated. A 2012 review says researchers hypothesise that shilajit forms from plant material decomposing over centuries, with microorganisms doing the breaking down. Other researchers have proposed rock, animal or fossil sources. A 2020 geological study states that none of the current theories clearly explains where shilajit comes from.
The 2012 review names Euphorbia royleana and Trifolium repens among the plants thought to be involved, in a process that "seems to occur through centuries", and says several other plant organisms may also generate it.
The 2020 study, from Chengdu, lists a wider range of ideas. Scholars of both Tibetan medicine and Ayurveda held a rock-source view, that shilajit was a melt of metals such as gold, silver, copper and iron. Others have proposed marine invertebrates, fossils of higher plants, or the droppings of squirrels and pikas. Their own proposal is that organic matter stored in the rock seeps out when geological activity changes the temperature and stress inside the rock, and they conclude that further geochemical research is needed to confirm it.
Where is shilajit found, and at what altitude?
Shilajit is reported from many mountain ranges, especially the Himalayas. The altitudes quoted depend on the source: one Himalayan description gives 1,000 to 5,000 metres, and a field survey of exudation points in Sichuan, China, found them mainly between 2,000 and 4,000 metres. No single altitude defines genuine shilajit.
| Source | Regions named | Altitude given |
|---|---|---|
| Ghosal, US patent (2002) | Himalayas, from Arunachal Pradesh in the east to Kashmir in the west; also the Hindu Kush, Australia, Tien Shan, Pamir, Caucasus and Urals | 1,000–5,000 m (Himalayas) |
| Ding et al., field survey (2020) | 68 exudation points in Sichuan, China; the paper also lists the southern Himalayan foothills, Pamir, Altai, Urals and Hindu Kush | Mainly 2,000–4,000 m (Sichuan survey) |
| Carrasco-Gallardo et al., review (2012) | Himalayas between India and Nepal; also Russia, Tibet, Afghanistan and northern Chile | Not given; "high mountain rocks" |
The figures describe different places: one region surveyed on the ground, and a general description in a patent. None of these sources says that a particular altitude produces better shilajit.
How is raw shilajit collected from the rock?
Shilajit is gathered where it oozes out of steep rock faces, from pores, cracks and hollows in the rock. The Sichuan survey found exudation points mainly on sunny slopes and cliffs of 60 degrees or steeper. The researchers note that these points are difficult to reach, and that the material is usually mixed with animal droppings.
The same survey offers a clue to timing. The slopes where it recorded exudation points were all sunny slopes, and the authors suggest that sunlight heating the rock "might be responsible" for the exudation. That is a suggestion from field observation, not a measured mechanism.
The sources we read say little about the work of collection itself, but they do describe the raw material. A 2024 laboratory study describes raw shilajit as a brown, hard, rocky substance. A 2002 patent says the edges of native shilajit deposits are heavily colonised by microorganisms, some of which produce mycotoxins. Every text and study we read purifies it before use.
How is shilajit purified, step by step?
In the classical and modern descriptions we read, purification follows one basic sequence: break up the raw material, dissolve it, let the insoluble matter settle or filter it out, and dry the liquid. Methods differ in the liquid used, the drying and how often the cycle is repeated.
- Collect the raw exudate from the rock, where it has seeped out of crevices; the Sichuan survey found it mainly on steep, sunny slopes.
- Clean it and break it up. The 2024 study used small pieces of cleaned raw shilajit; the patented process begins by powdering it.
- Dissolve or soak it. Classical texts use plain or hot water, cow's milk, Triphala decoction or bhringaraja juice. In the 2024 study, the pieces soaked in Triphala decoction for 24 hours.
- Separate the insoluble matter. Stones and soil settle to the bottom; the liquid is decanted or filtered through cotton cloth.
- Dry the liquid. Classical methods dry it in the sun. The 2024 study evaporated it to a thick paste with no more than 20 per cent moisture.
- Repeat if the method calls for it. One classical method adds herbal decoction and dries the mixture in the sun, repeating the cycle seven times.
What does traditional shodhana involve?
Shodhana is the Ayurvedic term for purification, and shuddh or shodhit shilajit means purified shilajit. A 2019 review of classical texts found three methods: dhavana (dissolving and filtering), bhavana (grinding with herbal juices or decoctions) and swedana (heating in a liquid). The texts differ on which liquids and durations to use.
In dhavana, the substance is dissolved in water, filtered through cotton cloth and, if needed, sun-dried to a solid mass; the authors say this may remove stones, wood and other insoluble impurities. One method in the Rasaratna Samucchaya dissolves it in cow's milk, Triphala decoction or bhringaraja juice, then filters and sun-dries it.
The reviewers note that dhavana targets physical impurities, while the texts treat bhavana as also adding properties from the herbal liquid. They conclude that detailed chemical analysis is needed to know exactly what each method does.
What does purification actually change?
One published laboratory study measured this. Researchers at an Ayurvedic research company soaked about 50 kg of raw shilajit in Triphala decoction, decanted the liquid and evaporated it. Total ash, what is left after a sample is burned, fell from 52.95 to 21.67 per cent, and the measured fulvic acid content rose.
| Measure | Raw shilajit | After Triphala shodhana | Change (percentage points) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total ash | 52.95% | 21.67% | −31.28 |
| Acid-insoluble ash | 2.35% | 0.39% | −1.96 |
| Water-soluble extractive | 59.33% | 72.13% | +12.80 |
| Fulvic acid (dry basis) | 36.91% | 50.12% | +13.21 |
| Humic acid (dry basis) | 7.10% | 8.23% | +1.13 |
| Loss on drying (moisture) | 4.97% | 18.62% | +13.65 |
Read these figures with care. They come from a single batch, analysed by the company that made it, and published in an Ayurvedic pharmacy research journal. The yield was about 40.4 per cent. The pH fell from 8.63 to 6.14, which the authors attribute to the acidic Triphala decoction. The study also tested one shilajit bought on the market and labelled as purified; it did not show the Triphala marker the in-house batch did, which the authors took to mean it had not been through Triphala shodhana. One sample proves nothing about the market.
How do modern shilajit extracts differ?
Patented extraction processes can go well beyond dissolving and filtering. A 2002 US patent by Shibnath Ghosal describes a process that starts with water extraction and filtration, then uses an organic solvent, changes in pH, activated carbon and an ion-exchange resin to separate particular fractions, mainly fulvic acids and compounds called dibenzo-alpha-pyrones.
Its first steps match the traditional sequence: powder the raw shilajit, dissolve it in water, filter it and evaporate the water to a brown, viscous residue. The later steps remove polymeric quinones, humus and humic acids, and keep fulvic acids of low-to-medium molecular weight. The result, a fine dark-brown powder defined by minimum levels of these compounds, is a different product from resin purified by water alone.
This is one patented process, not a description of how the industry works as a whole. The sources we read do not say how most shilajit sold today is processed.
Does sun-drying or heat-drying matter?
The sources we read do not answer this. Classical texts describe drying in the sun. The 2024 laboratory study says only that the liquid was evaporated, and the patent gives no drying temperature. We found no published study comparing the composition of sun-dried and heat-dried shilajit.
That leaves "sun-dried" or "low-heat" as descriptions of method, not evidence of quality.
Why does purification matter for safety?
Raw shilajit can carry contaminants. The 2012 review warns that consuming it without purification may bring risks from mycotoxins, heavy metals, polymeric quinones and free radicals, and says a purified preparation should be used. It also notes that several Ayurvedic products sold online, including shilajit, may contain detectable levels of lead, mercury and arsenic.
Purification and safety are not the same thing. Filtering removes what does not dissolve, but none of the sources we read shows that dissolving and filtering removes heavy metals; the 2024 study measured ash, not individual metals. For what a buyer can check, see our guide on how to identify pure shilajit, and for preparing a serving, our article on how to use shilajit resin. Neither replaces medical advice: if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, have a medical condition or take medication, ask your doctor before taking shilajit.
The short version
Shilajit is collected, not made: it seeps out of cracks in mountain rock, and its exact origin is still debated. Purification follows a simple sequence of dissolving, settling or filtering, and drying, with Ayurvedic texts using water, milk or herbal decoctions such as Triphala. One laboratory batch showed purification cutting the ash content by more than half, but that is a single study. None of these steps is proof of safety on its own, so follow your doctor's advice before taking shilajit.
Sources
Further reading behind the figures above. Himdhara's own numbers — yields, batch results — come from our production records and the batch reports on the lab reports page.
- Ding R, Zhao M, Fan J, et al. (2020). Mechanisms of generation and exudation of Tibetan medicine Shilajit (Zhaxun). Chinese Medicine.
- Carrasco-Gallardo C, Guzmán L, Maccioni RB (2012). Shilajit: A Natural Phytocomplex with Potential Procognitive Activity. International Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.
- Borkar K, Pagire B (2019). Shilajatu Shodhana - A brief review. Journal of Ayurveda and Integrated Medical Sciences.
- Keshwar U, Matey D, Padole M, Dhurde S, Shrikhande BK (2024). Assessing the Effect of Shodhana (Purification) Process by Triphala Decoction on Shilajit Using High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography. International Journal of Ayurveda and Pharma Research.
- Ghosal S (2002). Process for preparing purified shilajit composition from native shilajit. United States Patent 6,440,436 B1.