Rocks are having a moment. How else can we explain the avalanche of stone stories in the news in recent weeks? From celebrities marrying stones to people chaining themselves to boulders, rocks are suddenly hot. Here are the four fashionable mineral formations to bring you up to date with this outbreak of stone love.
Eligible rock
Sure, you could argue that rocks – from Uluru to the London stone – have been revered for centuries. But few devotees have gone as far as artist Tracey Emin, who recently announced she had married one. Emin, 52, married a “beautiful, ancient stone” that lives under an olive tree in her garden. The bride wore her father’s funeral shroud. She said it was the solid permanence of her husband that she found attractive: “It’s not going anywhere. It will be there, waiting for me.”
Popular rock
This week, an ancient stone in Soulbury, Buckinghamshire, has had residents queuing up to protect it. Known as the Soulbury Boot, the rock is said to have appeared after villagers battled the devil and chopped off his foot. Now, the 3ft-high glacial erratic is under threat from council chiefs, who say it must be moved after a motorist drove into it. At least seven locals have vowed to chain themselves to the village landmark if anyone attempts to remove it.
Geek rock
A well-preserved 500lb stone, hidden for 2,500 years in north-western Italy, is helping historians learn about the lives and religion of the Etruscans. The tablet was originally part of a temple and contains one of the longest known examples of Etruscan writing.
Rich rock
Fans of space rocks are expected to splash out £3.4m on meteorites at Christie’s next month. The 83 rocks on sale include chunks from the moon and Mars as well as the Valeria, a meteorite that killed a cow in 1972. A fireball that led to more than 1,000 people being hospitalised in Chelyabinsk, Russia, is expected to go for £300,000.
