— Magnificent Minerals  —

Building blocks of the Earth and the planets

Minerals, crystals and gemstones have fascinated people since time immemorial. They come in every possible hue, reflect and deflect light and have geometric shapes that even the most resourceful architect cannot conceive. Mystical powers are attributed to minerals and even now, in our high-tech modern world, when many people turn to science for answers to big questions, we are still drawn to minerals in unexplainable ways and remain fascinated by their mysterious splendor. But our mineral obsession has a dark side too, unfolding in mines around the globe, that we would rather not see.

Read:

• Did lightning provide phosphorous to ancient life?
• What are rocks made of?
• On salts, the minerals of the sea: The Mediterranean Sea dried up almost completely during the Messinian Salinity Crisis.
• Lapis lazuli: from Tutankhamun to the taliban. 
• Lapis lazuli: following the trace of a blue stone coveted since Antiquity.

Photo at the top: géry60 on Foter.com / CC BY-ND