In th? w??l? ?? ???ci??s ??mst?n?s, ???i?s ?n? s???hi??s h?l? ? s??ci?l ?l?c?. Th?s? ?x??isit?, vi???nt ??ms h?v? ???n ch??ish?? ??? c?nt??i?s, ?n? th?i? ????t? ?n? ???it? c?ntin?? t? c??tiv?t? th? w??l?. H?w?v??, in th? c???s? ?? ? ??c?nt ?x?l???ti?n, ? s????isin? ?isc?v??? ????? ? t??ch ?? int?i??? t? th? st??? ?? th?s? ??ms.

R??i?s ?n? s???hi??s h?v? l?n? ???n ??iz?? ??? th?i? vivi? c?l??s ?n? ?xc??ti?n?l cl??it?. R??i?s ??? kn?wn ??? th?i? ???? ??? h??, which is ? ??s?lt ?? th? ???s?nc? ?? ch??mi?m in th?i? c?m??siti?n. S???hi??s, ?n th? ?th?? h?n?, c?m? in v??i??s c?l??s, with ?l?? s???hi??s ??in? th? m?st ??m??s. B?th th?s? ??ms ??? hi?hl? s???ht ??t?? ??? th?i? ?s? in ?x??isit? j?w?l?? ?i?c?s ?n? h?v? hist??ic?ll? ???n ?ss?ci?t?? with n??ilit? ?n? l?x???.

Th? ?nch?ntin? w??l? ?? ??mst?n?s t??k ?n ?n?x??ct?? twist ???in? ? minin? ?x???iti?n in ? ??m?t? ???i?n kn?wn ??? its ???? ?n? s???hi?? ????sits. Min??s, whil? ?i??in? ??? th?s? ??iz?? ??ms, st?m?l?? ???n s?m?thin? t??l? ?st?nishin?—?n ?nt??ch?? v?in ?? ??l?. This ?n?x??ct?? ?in? ????? ?n ?xcitin? n?w ?im?nsi?n t? th? minin? v?nt??? ?n? hi?hli?ht?? th? ??m??k??l? ???l??ic?l hist??? ?? th? ???i?n.

Th? ??l? ?isc?v??? in ? ???i?n ??m??s ??? c?l???? ??mst?n?s is ? ??min??? ?? th? E??th’s ???l??ic?l c?m?l?xit? ?n? th? m?st??i?s it still h?l?s. It ?ls? ?n???sc???s th? ?n????ict??ilit? ?? minin?, wh??? t???s???s c?n s?m?tim?s ?????? wh??? l??st ?x??ct??.

This s???n?i?it??s ?in? s??v?s ?s ? ??min??? th?t th? E??th’s ???ths ??? still ??ll ?? s????is?s, ?n? wh?t m?? ???in ?s ? s???ch ??? ?n? ???ci??s st?n? c?n l??? t? th? ?n???thin? ?? ?n?th??, ????ll? v?l???l?, min???l. Th? ???st ??? ????ti??l ??ms ?n? ???ci??s m?t?ls c?ntin??s t? ??v??l th? w?n???s ?? ??? ?l?n?t, c??tiv?tin? ??th sci?ntists ?n? ?nth?si?sts ?lik?.