Environment

As the main antiseptic of antiquity, this stone helped mankind to cope with many diseases and to preserve meals. Its products are recognized as cultural heritage of the planet and are known all over the world.

This previously unknown mineral was first discovered in the late 18th century by Abraham Werner, a German geologist from Freiberg, Saxony. He was studying lavas from Mount Vesuvius when he found several fine crystals of the mineral.

This mineral was on the list of critical commodities during the First World War. Peaceful uses have been found eventually, now the stone being part of any large celebration.

Iron Man, a superhero brand owned by US-based Marvel, ranks high amongst Forbes’ richest fictional characters. Few know there was a man with superpowers who lived and died 300 years before his persona was recreated in comic books.

This rock has turned the entire oil industry of the 21st century upside down. Today it is on the environmentalists’ black list and its extraction is demanded to be banned.

Initially, this stone was used to embellish the cattle. Then it became the symbol and dress code of Buckingham Palace during the most brilliant period in British history, the Victorian era.

Having silverware at home was at all times regarded as a sign of prosperity and luxuriousness. Kitchen utensils made of precious metal symbolised that their owner was of blue blood, which is somewhat surprisingly not a figurative expression. Often people who had expensive silver services turned blue literally.

A hundred years ago or so, people risked their lives to get their hands on pearls. Not only it was dangerous to dive without gear, but some giant molluscs could grow that big they could actually kill. As is known, pearls are formed inside the shell of certain molluscs as a defence mechanism against a potentially threatening irritant. Their colour, shape and size vary, depending on what material acted as stimuli. Most pearls are only a few millimetres in diameter; those reaching tens of centimetres are much rarer to find.

Two hundred years ago, the gold fever took Russia by storm. Hereditary nobility, merchant adventurers, ordinary people — everyone was leaving their settlements, abandoning their routine life, and heading straight to Siberia. These events followed the Senate edict allowing to freely look for and mine precious metals.

Some 500 years ago, Spanish conquistadors led by Francisco Pizarro captured the last Incan emperor Atahualpa. Although a ransom for Atahualpa’s release was paid with gold, the emperor was still executed. Soon the conquest of Peru was completed; the indigenous people kept fighting off for a few more decades, but the Spanish had firearms in their hands. This drew a final line under the invasion of the country.