What is the most dangerous stone in the world?

Earth’s nature is so beautiful, amazing and multifaceted that you simply never stop asking yourself: “How else can it surprise us?” Famous travelers, whose life path is one big journey, assure that human life is not enough to experience all the beauty of planet Earth! Every corner of the world is rich in something unusual and special that delights us and further stimulates our thirst for life. I want to admire our planet more and more! Minerals are part of living nature, one of its important and valuable components. Minerals are created in natural conditions and have colossal energy, healing and magical properties. But as accident statistics show, not all natural stones are equally useful. Among thousands of rocks and minerals there are small inclusions – deadly! The combination of certain elements of the periodic table creates extremely toxic compounds, contact with which can even be fatal for humans. It’s paradoxical, but everything poisonous in nature looks as attractive as possible. For example, a fly agaric in forest grass will look extremely impressive! The colorful mollusk shells and colorful lionfish in the Red Sea are stunningly beautiful and at the same time very poisonous. The same goes for stones: an unusually bright and attractive pebble may well turn out to be deadly. We hasten to reassure you – there are relatively few such minerals in Russia. All of them are found mainly in places inaccessible to the average person – in mines and developments. At world resorts, where Russian and other tourists around the world most often vacation, a thorough inspection of all flora and fauna is carried out for natural objects that are dangerous to life and health. If they occur in vacation spots, hotel staff must warn guests about this. Our story is about the most dangerous specimens, which truly surprise with their appearance and are known all over the world. This information will be of interest to anyone who is interested in gems and natural stones. The deadly stones are very beautiful: each of them has a unique color that you can’t help but pay attention to. Galena Galena is an unusual stone, the shape of the crystals and colors of which are quite suitable for the definitions of the modern high-tech style. In nature, such minerals are extremely rare. This is just fantastic geometry and a very stylish color palette! Galena is the main ore from which lead is mined. The structure of galena is based on small shiny silver cubes of a perfectly symmetrical and clearly defined shape. It’s as if it was created in an unearthly biological laboratory! The steel color of the mineral with a bluish tint evokes thoughts of distant stars and the vast expanses of our Universe. Mineralogists and crystallographers know very well how dangerous this “cosmic” pebble is. Many who came into contact with galena without protective equipment were subsequently struck by serious illnesses. As a rule, the victims of this very toxic stone were ordinary amateur naturalists who had no idea that there were natural stones that were deadly dangerous to human health. The mineral is so interesting and unusual that it literally attracts attention. I want to look at it and explore it all the time. And the more you explore it, the more interesting it becomes. For example, if you hit it with a hammer, it will crumble into many copies of itself! Strikingly symmetrical cubes split exclusively along their perimeter and nothing else! Almost like a Rubik’s cube, but not on hinges. Such a cute and deadly toy “hangs” for a long time in the hands of non-professionals, while experienced people stay as far away from the beautiful find as possible. Miners extracting lead ore are well aware of the consequences of contact with galena. Toxic dust, which rises in mines during the production process, enters the human respiratory tract and often leads to serious occupational diseases. Torburnite It is not for nothing that Torburnite is considered a “hellish” mineral. This natural stone is directly related to the well-known uranium (with all the ensuing consequences). This strange symbiosis of copper, phosphorus, water and uranium looks fascinating – the entire surface of the mineral is dotted with small bright green prisms. It’s simply impossible not to be tempted and grab it in your hands! Even experienced researchers fell into the net of the insidious torbernite, which they later bitterly regretted. These beautiful stones, a pleasant green color, emit the deadly gas radon, which causes lung cancer. The mineral is so saturated with uranium that uranium deposits are determined by its presence in the rock. An ordinary person is unlikely to ever encounter this deadly pebble. Perhaps through the popular construction and finishing material – granite. When choosing slabs of natural granite for certain purposes, try to avoid material that has rich green inclusions – it is likely that this is a deadly torburnite. The stone is named after the Swedish chemist and mineralogist Thorbern Bergman. The mineral is mined in Germany, the Czech Republic, France, Great Britain, the USA, Poland, South Africa and other countries of the world. Chalcanite Chalcanthite is a deadly mineral, but damn attractive. You can guarantee almost 100% that if you encounter a stone on your way, you will not be able to pass by! An incredibly bright and seductive mineral instantly attracts attention. The crystals, fused together in the shape of a wonderful flower, have a very rich ultramarine blue hue. The name of the stone “Chalcanthit” is translated from ancient Greek as “flower”. The alluring blue chalcanthite crystals are magical and attractive. Why is this flower considered deadly? The mineral consists predominantly of copper, with the addition of small amounts of sulfur and water. The combination of such seemingly natural “ingredients” in certain proportions turns into a toxic substance. The danger lies in the fact that copper, which is safe and even beneficial for the human body in this form, dissolves unacceptably easily in water and is quickly absorbed into any biological body. As a result, “horse” doses of copper that instantly enter the body are a real poison, capable of stopping the functioning of internal organs in a matter of minutes and even leading to death. If such a miracle stone falls into your hands, immediately put it back and wash them thoroughly. But the fact of the matter is that chalcanite is incredibly beautiful! It is impossible to pass by him! If you lightly lick a piece of stone, poisoning of the body is guaranteed. Science knows many cases when novice mineralogists tried this pebble “on the tongue” to determine the presence of salt in its composition. This is the quick and risky way to identify toxic elements in nature. Copper overdose is no joke. However, any overdose poses a certain degree of danger. Attempts at industrial extraction of chalcanite and the development of this rock ended sadly: the environmental situation in the mining areas sharply deteriorated. If this mineral is mined in a reservoir, all living things die in it. Beautiful and dangerous chalcanite is found in the copper deposits of Nizhny Tagil, in the copper mines of the Northern Urals, and Transcaucasia. Professionals are well aware of this insidious mineral, and they try to avoid it. Stibnite Stibnite is an amazing mineral. It looks like a bunch of silver arrows or swords sticking out in all directions. This is antimony sulfide, which is found in almost all antimony deposits. In ancient times, magnificent dishes were cast from these large and very shiny metal crystals. However, people quickly realized that silver swords and arrows could truly kill them! Silvery bunch-shaped crystals containing antimony sent many people to the next world. Modern mineralogists, when collecting collections of natural stones, handle stibnite samples with care, using special protective equipment. The mineral is so dangerous that you can’t even touch it with your hands – it will have a negative impact on the human body. The largest volumes of stibnite are mined in Japanese deposits. Silvery “arrows” of poisonous stibnite crystals in Japan reach 30 centimeters in length! Coloradoite This deadly mineral was discovered relatively recently in the American state of Colorado among igneous rocks. The brilliant and attractive mineral turned out to be very dangerous for human health – it is an alloy of mercury with an equally toxic element called tellurium. In fact, it is mercury squared. It is strictly contraindicated to even pick up such a mineral! The toxic threat to the body is extreme. And in hot weather it is forbidden to even approach the coloradoite! And, as often happens in nature, the stone is very attractive! The metallic shade of the mineral is identical to the color of mercury balls, the stone is bright and shining. The structure of the mineral resembles mercury: its entire surface is strewn with small, round and shiny mercury balls. It is curious that the second component of coloradoite, tellurium, contains gold. This fact was learned back in Australia during the gold rush. Hutchinsonite Hutchinsonite is an incredibly beautiful and extremely dangerous mineral. “Thermonuclear” mixture – thallium, lead and arsenic. This mineral cocktail is capable of killing humans and any living creature. You definitely want to pick up such a beautiful pebble and admire it to your heart’s content. But this should not be allowed under any circumstances. And European miners are well aware of this. Hutchinsonite is found mainly in the mines of Europe. It is named after the famous British mineralogist John Hutchinson. It is noteworthy that the less common element thalium, which is part of this mineral, is much more dangerous than the well-known lead. Thalium is an incredibly heavy and very toxic substance. This deadly “double” of lead, even with minor contact, causes hair loss, skin diseases and death. Asbestos Asbestos – you’ve probably already heard this name, since the mineral has long been used in the construction industry, as well as in the automotive industry and rocket science. At the same time, it is a terrible toxic substance, which in a certain state poses a mortal danger to humans. It is noteworthy that it is not toxic, like many other dangerous minerals. What is its danger? Asbestos is made up of thousands of microscopic thread-like crystals that are easily transported through the air. When asbestos is in a dry powdery state, microcrystals enter the human lungs during breathing. And then truly terrible things happen: hard asbestos microcrystals damage the delicate walls of the lungs, leaving scars on them. This is real mechanical “sabotage” in the human lungs! Such damage causes lung diseases, sometimes with extremely serious consequences. Despite the fact that asbestos is an absolutely natural element. This is silicon dioxide, one of the most common solid minerals on our planet. And of course very attractive to look at.
Asbestos is found all over the world in any set of silica rocks – in Russia, Canada, South Africa, Brazil, Italy, France, etc. Mining of such rocks is carried out exclusively in compliance with the strictest safety rules. It is a well-known fact in the professional medical community that when examining the lungs of many people, some asbestos fibers are found. This occurs due to natural weathering processes in the Earth’s atmosphere. Arsenopyrite Arsenopyrite is called “fool’s gold” among experts. The mineral is easy to confuse with gold and it is also easy to go to the forefathers simply by holding it in your hands. “Arsenicum” translated from Latin means “arsenic”. Arsenopyrite is also called “arsenic pyrite.” The stone is damn attractive and really looks like a gold nugget. It is quite widely found in nature, even in common rocks of quartz and fluorite. How many miners died just because they touched it with their hands and the toxic composition entered the body. When heated, the arsenic mineral is especially dangerous, as it releases toxic and carcinogenic fumes, the inhalation of which can be fatal. You can determine the presence of a deadly gas by the pungent smell of garlic. Always remember that the smell of garlic in inappropriate and unexpected places can threaten your death! You can also identify arsenic stone by hitting it with a hammer – sparks will immediately fall, emitting the pungent smell of garlic. Orpiment What could be worse than arsenic? Probably only “arsenic stone”, which exists in nature and is called orpiment. Orpiment crystals also contain sulfur and are often found near hydrothermal vents. The mineral, like all poisonous stones, looks very seductive, you just want to take it and take a closer look. But doing this is strictly prohibited due to the incredibly carcinogenic and neurotoxic arsenic in its composition. The history of China has preserved many sad stories associated with this mineral. The ancient Chinese used “arsenic stone” for the same purposes as cinnabar. The consequences were dire. The mineral was a component of ocher paint and brought many Chinese artists to an early grave. Orpiment was also used for military purposes. The mineral was crushed to a powdery state, and a special composition was created on its basis, which was used to treat arrowheads. Many enemies of the Celestial Empire were defeated with such weapons. But the craftsmen who processed arrows and constantly came into contact with this dangerous mineral very quickly fell ill and died. One of the most famous mountain plateaus in Norway is Kjerag, which is visited by tens of thousands of tourists every year. The height of the mountains here reaches just over a thousand meters above sea level. The most popular peak among tourists is Liserfjorden, whose height is 984 meters. This is where one of the most unusual stones in the world is located – the huge Kjeragbolten boulder! Photo 2. Outwardly, the cobblestone is completely unremarkable, but its location involuntarily evokes admiration even among experienced travelers. The fact is that Kjeragbolten literally hangs over the abyss, being sandwiched between two sheer cliffs! Photo 3. The size of the boulder is about 5 cubic meters. Apparently, once upon a time a huge stone fell off and flew into the abyss, but it was destined to get stuck between two neighboring rocks, and to get stuck so well that it still hangs over the abyss! Photo 4. Naturally, thousands of tourists arriving here want to see such an unusual stone with their own eyes. Some of them do not limit themselves to the usual inspection of the stone from the side and certainly try to be directly on it! Photo 5. Photos of people sitting or standing on a huge boulder look fantastic. The stone looks best from the facade. On the other hand, the approach to Kjeragbolten is more sloping, which slightly spoils the overall impression. Photo 6. It is in photographs with people that you realize the true size of Kjeragbolten and its unstable position! It seems that a little more and the stone will certainly fall into the abyss from a height of almost a thousand meters. However, years pass, and Kjeragbolten still hangs over the abyss. Photo 7. Some call Kjeragbolten the most dangerous stone in the world, but this name can be misleading, since not a single person has yet fallen from the boulder hanging over the abyss, and the stone itself does not seem to be going to fall! However, this does not mean that standing on Kjeragbolten is easy. High in the mountains there are often strong gusts of wind, so if you do not have sufficiently stable and firm legs, it is best not to take risks. who wants to be first? 🙂 Photo 8. In order to get to the top of Liserfjorden, tourists need to climb a mountain path for several hours, but this does not frighten people at all, since at the top a reward awaits them – a magnificent view of the nearby mountains and the opportunity to “ride” Kjeragbolten. Photo 9. The Kjerag plateau is popular not only among tourists, but also among extreme sportsmen. Every year, about 2-3 thousand base jumpers jump from the top of the plateau. The local rocks are ideal for jumping, so the popularity of the plateau among extreme sports enthusiasts is understandable. In addition, climbers have chosen the Kjerag plateau. There are many routes of varying difficulty in the local mountains, both for beginners and experienced climbers. Photo 10. The most convenient way to visit the Kjerag plateau and admire the unusual stone is to sign up for a guided tour. You will be guided along the most interesting routes and shown the most picturesque places of the plateau. Of course, such excursions will require some preparation, since you will have to go for several hours. Photo 11. Photo 12. Photo 13. Photo 14. Photo 15. Photo 16. Photo 17. Photo 18. Photo 19. Photo 20. Photo 21. Here’s what else interesting there is in Norway: Grass on the roofs of Norway, But Troll tongue (Trolltunga). And of course we already looked at Norway Place to think (Preikestolen)