Kseniia Pavlova

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.

Between January and May this year, the Republic of Azerbaijan exported 13.8 million tons of oil, which exceeds 70% of the country's export revenues and roughly equals $5 billion. Mineral resources are the foundation of the Azerbaijani economy. In fact, hydrocarbons are one of the few expert products of the Republic. Yet with that said, shortage of qualified local personnel remains one of the most significant issues for Azerbaijan.

The Mining University's journal, which has turned 113 years old this year, is now recognised internationally.

Until the early XX century, no one had known there were vast deposits of this mineral in Russia’s possession. Without this stone, the Kola Peninsula would probably remain a humanless and deserted territory

There are not many people who know this mineral exists. It is hardly known on the gem market as well, with a rare jeweller being able to tell it from a diamond. Each jewel with this stone is truly unique.

This gemstone is a blue variety of beryl, which is particularly fancied by those of noble blood. Princess Diana is among them.

Turkmenistan is often compared to North Korea based on the level of the country’s isolation. There is very little information about the state, and its reliability is often hard to check. For instance, not a single COVID-19 case has been registered there, but rumours say petrol is shared freely among citizens. Leyla Aliyeva, a student at Saint-Petersburg Mining University, explains which stories are real and which are only imagination.

This mineral is one of the most common ones on our planet, with its crystals weighing up to several dozens of tons and often being enormously large.