Our earliest ancestors honored the sacredness of stone, perhaps partly because, unlike everything else in life, it appears to last forever. It has the stamp of eternity about it; it will be around long after we have returned to dust. As a species, we do not easily embrace change; we need things that last, and so people everywhere have praised stone's steady, reliable presence. . . . The mystical power of stone crosses all cultural, ethnic, racial, and religious boundaries. For humans everywhere, rocks are both solid and reassuring, and their strength inspires awe.
— Cait Johnson, Earth, Water, Fire, & Air