Environment

The wave of interest in this mineral swept over Europe in the eighteenth century. The richest people of England and France were fighting with each other for a chance to get their hands on a piece of this stone. Rare people could acquire it though, due to its extreme scarcity. This stone was used to decorate the rooms of monarchs. It set the fashion trends for noble people of that time. How could it happen that centuries later the stone’s name is associated only with a dog breed and a peninsula in the Atlantic Ocean?

This mineral has been known to humanity for thousands of years. However, its unique properties were discovered only five centuries ago through the inquiry of alchemists, which revealed that a non-base metal by nature could turn into gold.

Each and every stylishly dressed women should have jewellery items. What stone to choose though? Most ladies would say that the answer is obvious - diamonds, but in times of the Amazons neither diamonds nor rubies were considered a stone appropriate for women.

The first thing a person probably pays attention to when gets to see a mineral is its color. It also plays a major role in defining the stone’s value. But what if the stone is able to change its appearance and may change from emerald to ruby right in front of your own eyes? As a matter of fact, a mineral in possession of such a rare feature was considered an asset of the premium quality in the Soviet Union. Throughout the whole period of existence of the USSR, there was not a single natural sample sold. Discovery of each mineral was also monitored closely. Moreover, even now many Russians are not aware that their grandmothers' jewels, kept as family relics, are nothing but the finely crafted by the Government fakes.

Throughout the history, people's attitude towards minerals has been somewhat mixed. Some stones were believed to be sacred, the others were considered cursed, while the rest were essential to our very existence.

Among the most expensive minerals on earth are diamonds, sapphires, rubies, platinum and gold. The majority of people on this planet would consider owning these precious metals and stones as a sign of prosperity. However, 1.4 billion Chinese are unlikely to share the same opinion.