Colours affect our perception of people and objects to the extent that it is actually picked up on by costume designers and artists on-screen to convey a negative or positive message. In recent times, the show Breaking Bad has made extensive use of colour symbolism to invoke certain feelings about certain characters. For example, characters are most often seen in orange right before something dangerous is going to happen, yellow; being the colour of caution is used increasingly into the show to depict the risk Walter takes by cooking meth.

Did you know why the Matrix in which Keanu Reeves enters is completely green, while the world outside has a slightly more blue tint to it? Early computers displayed text in a vivid, dark green and the Matrix was supposed to invoke this sensation of being trapped into a world run by artificial intelligence. Sci-fi fiction mainly makes use of cool neutrals to emote sterility, harshness, lack of human warmth or any kind of love, thereby successfully tapping into the relationship between colour and emotions.

Larimar is a semi-precious blue variety of silicate mineral pectolite. It was discovered in the Bahamas and Dominican Republic in the 1970s. The name 'Larimar' is a combination of Larissa and Mar and the name was given to the stone by a Dominican called Mendez, who named the stone after his daughter, Larissa, and Mar - which is the Spanish word for sea. Pectolite is found in many places though none have the unique blue of Larimar. This blue colour, distinct from that of other pectolites, is due to the cobalt substitution for calcium. Larimar is also a crystal of serenity and considered a healing stone.

Jet is a hard gem variety of Lignite. Jet is a variety of brown coal, a fossilised wood of an ancient tree similar to cypress trees and monkey puzzle trees. These trees grew in the Jurassic period. Eventually, they were washed into seas and rivers to lie at the bottom for millions of years. All the other sediments built up causing great pressure, which flattened the wood and altered the wood to jet due to chemical reactions. Since ancient times, jet has been used in Jewellery and Queen Victoria wore Whitby jet as part of her mourning dress, making it extremely famous!

The mountain valley of Quebrada de Humahuaca, in the province of Jujuy, situated in north-west Argentina, is home to some wonderful geology. Located 25 km east of Humahuaca, along an unpaved road is Serranías del Hornocal. The utterly spectacular colours and the inverted-V shaped formation seen here is part of the limestone formation, Yacoraite, which extends from Peru to Salta, through Bolivia and the Quebrada de Humahuaca. It is a sight to behold in the evening post 4 pm. You can marvel at the lovely view and appreciate the topography of the region as the sun sets and the shadows emphasise its beauty.

Lying 100m and more below sea level, the Danakil Depression is considered to be the most inhospitable place on Earth. It is an extension of the Great Rift Valley, though it doesn't feel like part of Earth at all. Water at near-boiling temperatures bubble up from underground, high salt concentrations create multi-coloured structures, and sulphur and chlorine vapour fogs the air. The mountains of salt change its pinkish tones over time. The region is dubbed, 'The Cruelest Place on Earth', by National Geographic. However, it is interesting to note that extreme forms of life survive here.