Radenthein is a small town in Carinthia, in earlier times mostly known for its garnet mine. Today it is a museum and children can pick their own garnets from the stone. Once they have a few, the stones can be brought to the shop, where they are cut and polished. It’s a nice idea and seemingly a big success.
An interesting fact that I learned was, that in the 1500s, the high time of Radenthein’s garnet production, the stones were not cut and polished in town, they were transported to Prague. There the emperor employed the best of Venice’s jewel cutters.
Sounds cool, working as an expert for the emperor? Forget it. They lived miserable lives, had to work lying flat on their bellies, pressing garnet against rotating grindstone. The position was unnatural and crippeling, the dust ruined their lungs. So much for being an expert.