quartz

3 Stories

Australia Is First Nation to Ban Popular, but Deadly, Stone

Nation is phasing out engineered stone, as more young workers develop silicosis

(Newser) - Australia has become the first nation to ban the use of engineered stone following years of advocacy from doctors and unions who raised the alarm on its dangers to workers, reports the Guardian . A report from watchdog group Safe Work Australia this year found that stonemasons developed silicosis, a deadly...

Stonehenge Builders Made a Smart, or Lucky, Choice
Stonehenge Builders Made
a Smart, or Lucky, Choice
in case you missed it

Stonehenge Builders Made a Smart, or Lucky, Choice

Stone core is 99.7% quartz, and unlikely to succumb to erosion

(Newser) - Researchers have uncovered a secret to Stonehenge's everlasting survival, thanks to a long-lost core taken from the ancient structure. Stonecutter Robert Phillips got his hands on one of the three cores taken from a cracked sarsen stone as metal rods were inserted during restoration work in the 1950s . But...

Hopeful Diamond Hunters Get Bad News

People who flocked to South African village dug up similar-looking quartz

(Newser) - As far as government announcements go, this one stung: "The tests conducted conclusively revealed that the stones discovered in the area are not diamonds." So declared an official in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal, reports the BBC . The words deflated the hopes of thousands of people who'...

3 Stories