Science and the Enterprises

Urals gems

Bright as a flame, clear and sparkling like water and born out of emptiness deep beneath the Earth-crystals really are a natural wonder and a product of the elements. They decorate our lives and carry with them an ancient secret. People in the Urals discovered these multi-coloured crystals that seem to dance in the sunlight long ago. They found them in rivers and lakes, while tilling the fields in the spring and simply along the roads after heavy rains. In regular speech people began calling them poetic names such as «eyes of the earth» or, more popularly and accurately, «samosvety» translated to mean «colours themselves.» The Urals' many unique and precious stones soon became famous all over the world and it has been 18 years since they won over the world. The translucent cherry-coloured amethysts from the Urals decorated the tiaras of European empresses while emerald and topaz rings twinkled on their fingers. Palace interior were filled with vases made from malachite, jasper and aventurine. Thankfully people continue to work with these breathtaking gems. Craftsmen and stonecutters from the Urals still work with these natural products of nature to create true works of art. Discover how these gems are mined and how they are transformed in to jeweled works of art in RTG TV's new programme.

Presenter Stanislav Sal'nikov

Year 2013

Duration 00:26:36

Presenter Stanislav Sal'nikov

Bright as a flame, clear and sparkling like water and born out of emptiness deep beneath the Earth-crystals really are a natural wonder and a product of the elements. They decorate our lives and carry with them an ancient secret. People in the Urals discovered these multi-coloured crystals that seem to dance in the sunlight long ago. They found them in rivers and lakes, while tilling the fields in the spring and simply along the roads after heavy rains. In regular speech people began calling them poetic names such as «eyes of the earth» or, more popularly and accurately, «samosvety» translated to mean «colours themselves.» The Urals' many unique and precious stones soon became famous all over the world and it has been 18 years since they won over the world. The translucent cherry-coloured amethysts from the Urals decorated the tiaras of European empresses while emerald and topaz rings twinkled on their fingers. Palace interior were filled with vases made from malachite, jasper and aventurine. Thankfully people continue to work with these breathtaking gems. Craftsmen and stonecutters from the Urals still work with these natural products of nature to create true works of art. Discover how these gems are mined and how they are transformed in to jeweled works of art in RTG TV's new programme.

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