Plast – a small provincial town in the Chelyabinsk region, got its intriguing title “Russian Brazil” in the XIX century, when Russian Academician N. N. Koksharov discovered diamonds and the rarest mineral euclase here. The scientist mineralogist was surprised to find rare gems and exclaimed, “It’s Russian Brazil!”. Mineralogical province Russian Brazil is located on the banks of the river Kamenka and Sanarka, among gold sands, forests and ancient hills. Even the coat of arms of Plast is a fabulous Firebird – a bird with green sequins feathers of the tail. The yellow bar at the bottom of the coat of arms presents the gold mining industry in the town of Plast. “Russian Brazil” boasts gold and rare gems – rubies, chrysoberyl, aquamarine, spinel, corundum, gold and diamonds.

It was only later travelers and explorers of the Urals began giving names to other local geographical gems. Valley Miass was called “Ural California” for “rabid” in its gold placers. “Ural Riviera” – Lake Turgoyak – for its deep crystalline waters. “Russian Switzerland” – Taganai mountains.

The local treasures continue to attract geologists (true connoisseurs and just amateur “diggers”). This, of course, gold and precious stones: large crystals of blue and pink topaz, evklaz and rubies, chrysoberyl and kyanite, tourmaline and aquamarine. The really interesting event was the discovery of three-ton rock crystals in these places in 1967. These giants became champions of the Urals for the entire weight.

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