In the second half of the 19th century, art iron casting became the trademark of the Urals and gained wide recognition around the world. The real triumph of products of the Ural masters occurred at the world exhibition in Paris. Products of the famous Kaslin plant were presented in a chiseled pavilion of cast iron in the Byzantine style and received a “Grand Prix” gold medal, the top award of the time.
This rare and beneficial mineral is composed of almost an entire periodic table. However, there are very few deposits where it can be mined — less than a dozen in the whole world, with the largest one located in Russia.
If not for this rock, humankind would probably have never survived at the dawn of civilisation with its harsh environment. There is a vast potential hidden in the mineral to which a whole epoch is linked.
This stone is in the top four world’s most expensive minerals. And despite it falling short of diamond’s hardness, it is much more beautiful and by far more costly. Now, this is the stone that should have been a girl’s best friend!
Agate is a pretty common and readily available mineral, two completely identical samples of which do not exist in nature. Each specimen has a unique pattern, the same as with human fingerprints.
By its outward appearance, this rock is well ahead of all the other gemstones. It did not become popular among jewellers, but on the other hand, it has become a primary source of one of the most demanded metals of the 21st century.
This stone is a symbol of aristocracy and impeccable taste. A hundred years ago or so, people were risking their lives to get their hands on it. As a result, mineral-bearing marine animals were almost driven into extinction.