Valeria Quiroz

For centuries it has been a symbol of wealth and power. Its owners have been great generals and monarchs. Today it inspires famous jewellery brands to create collections worth millions of euros.

In the old days, the inhabitants of the Urals often used this stone to visit the village baths. And today it is impossible to imagine modern aviation, the automotive industry, medicine and cinematography without it.

In the late 19th century, to have an elephant figurine in one’s collection meant belonging to the royal family, as only the jeweller of the Imperial Hermitage, Karl Fabergé, produced them at the time. During the Soviet era, animal figurines were seen as nothing more than a manifestation of bourgeoisie and bad taste.

When asteroids are mentioned, images of celestial bodies flying in distant space most often come to mind. But you don’t have to be an astronaut to see and touch a piece of the solar system: the wreckage of smaller planets is much closer than it appears. They can be found in every home or apartment during daily cleaning.

Carlo Collodi’s tale about the adventures of Pinocchio can be considered not only a classic of world literature, but also a manual for fraudsters. The events described in the children’s book are reminiscent of real-life crimes whose victims were adults.

Everyone knows the fairy tales from the Grimm brothers, but few parents have ever considered that their original versions are as violent as the most ruthless crime stories.

Dozens of methane accidents occur regularly in coal mines around the world. Hundreds of lives are lost in these accidents, even though modern automatic gas protection systems are in place.

The most famous crossing of the Alps belongs to Hannibal Barca and his army. The Carthaginian warlord lost all his elephants and one third of his warriors for good during the campaign. All of this might not have happened had the events unfolded in modern times.

Without this stone, the most sought-after metal of our time would not exist. The demand for this rare mineral is growing every day, and its deposits in the nature are few.

This mineral is the source of the most sought-after metal of the 21st century. Without it, there would be no modern aircraft engine, airplanes, and helicopters, and ships would not be able to fly into space.

This stone has given birth to many architectural masterpieces that are still admired around the world. Despite its radioactivity, it is still used in construction and even made into jewelry.

The pharaohs of Egypt and Napoleon Bonaparte found their final rest in this stone. To be buried in it is a great honor, even if one had to wait decades for an official funeral.

One of the most desirable gifts for March 8 is jewelry, because as the song goes, ”diamonds are a girl’s best friend”. However, there are a lot of stones that are not inferior to them in beauty, and a few of them are even superior. One example is tourmaline, which at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries was the most popular ”women’s” gemstone in China.

In the last months of World War II in Europe, the British developed, on Winston Churchill’s orders, an operation to continue the war by Western countries against the USSR with the participation of German prisoners. This plan was codenamed ”Unthinkable”.

In August 1941 in Yelabuga, Russia; the life of Marina Tsvetaeva was cut short. Her biography and poems are well known to her admirers, but few know about the poet’s talisman, which became fatal for her… I wear his ring with a challenge. - Yes, in Eternity - wife, not on paper. - His excessively narrow face Like a sword. His mouth is silent, corners down, His eyebrows are painfully great. In his face tragically mingle Two ancient bloods.

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.