From the Hematite used in cave paintings and the moldavite that became a TikTok sensation to from crystal balls to compasses, rocks and minerals have always been central to our story. 3,000 years ago, Babylonians constructed lapidaries, books that tried to pin down their magical secrets. Now art critic and author Hettie Judah explores the stories behind 60 stones that have shaped human history, from Dorset fossil-hunters and Chinese philosophers to Catherine the Great and Michelangelo. In conversation with artist llana Halperin.

Hettie Judah is one of Britain’s leading writers on art. She is the senior critic on the i, contributing editor to The Plant, and writes regularly for The Guardian, Vogue, Frieze and The New York Times. She is also a sought-after public speaker. Her recent books include Art London (ACC Art Books, 2019) and Frida Kahlo (Laurence King, 2020). She lives in London.

Ilana Halperin is an artist who was born in New York and lives in Glasgow. Her work explores the relationship between geology and daily life. She combines fieldwork in diverse locations – on volcanoes in Hawaii, caves in France, geothermal springs in Japan, and in museums, archives and laboratories, with an active studio-based practice. Her work has been shown around the world from Mount Stuart on the Isle of Bute to the Exploratorium in San Francisco. She shares her birthday with the Eldfell volcano in Iceland.