Some people call the minerals “the flowers of the mountains”, because they are as beautiful and colorful as all real flowers. Minerals have no smell, but the energy they emit is so compelling and enchanting.

According to Bulgarian geologist Stela Todorova from the city of Kardzhali, the Rhodope Mountain is the mountain with biggest diversity of minerals in the Balkans. Many quartz minerals, as well as agates, garnets, aquamarine, tourmaline, smoky quartz, etc. can be found in that mountain:

“Geodes symbolize the mystery of nature. When you look on the outside of the geode you don’t see much, but there is a lot to be seen when you look inside that structure. Geodes are volcanic blisters which were formed when lava cooled down. Later, geodes started to fill with various substances. Thus, the quartz forms emerged. There are also calcite geodes. It is hard to distinguish geodes from plain rocks, because those formations are covered with volcanic substance. One must have the sense to distinguish geodes from ordinary stones. The most beautiful crystals are formed when lava cools down slowly, its temperature is very high and large cavities are formed. When cavities are too small, the crystals deform. If solutions that pass through the lava-formed cavities are cooler and cool down quickly, thick and homogeneous mass is formed and there are no crystals inside the lava formations. Many beautiful things can be seen out in nature and they have their logical explanation. Things are not formed accidentally. Some forms are close to mysticism and fantasy. Human imagination can see everything. Nature allows us to see things we are interested in.”

Petar Zapryanov’s "paintings" are filled with harmony. Petar is Stela’s friend and associate and lives in Kardzhali as well. Stela made him show his paintings of rocks to people, because he still hasn’t realized his creations are works of art.

“My main ambition is to make collections of minerals that can be found near the city of Kardzhali. I combine 20-30 different types of minerals in one picture only. I like to see those minerals gathered in one place. I always start from a point deep inside me and always try to see a given stone at a particular place. It is strange to move an agate at different positions, in order to find its right place and then start building its world and your world around it. For instance, some stones abhor one another. Others are similar in mineral composition and colors. I am not trying to find any explanation of that. Of course, if I want I would find a geological explanation, but it is not necessary.”

Those who want to feel the magic of the crystals can visit the Earth and Man National Museum in Sofia where the wonderful collection Giant Crystals is on display. It was donated by Bulgarian patriot Ilia Deleff in 1985. Visitors can learn interesting details about the wonderful world of the minerals at the traditional annual exhibitions, as well as at various events such as Earth Day (April 22), World Water Day (March 22), World Environment Day (June 5) and European Minerals Days.

English version: Kostadin Atanasov