Turquoise

Turquoise, being either blue or green.

Ask two people whether turquoise is blue or green and you will get three answers and one person leaving.

Flint

A piece of flint, sharp on purpose.

Flint is the only rock that complains when hit, and it does so with sparks.

Pumice

A piece of pumice, staying afloat on principle.

Pumice is a rock that floats on water, a habit the other rocks regard as showing off.

Quicksand

Quicksand, less dramatic than advertised.

A person cannot sink completely into quicksand; it is too dense, and they would float at about the waist.

Diamond

A diamond, currently not on fire.

A diamond is made of the same carbon as pencil lead, and it can burn.

Stepping stone

Stepping stones across a stream. One of them wobbles; the photograph declines to say which.

Every set of stepping stones contains exactly one wobbly stone, and it is never the one you tested.

Volcano

A volcano, currently not doing anything, as far as anyone is prepared to say.

A volcano is a mountain that keeps the inside of the Earth on the outside, where it can be kept an eye on.

Stalactite

A stalactite, hanging on.

A stalactite is a rock that grows down from a cave ceiling, holding on tight, and waiting for a stalagmite that is taking its time.

Cave

The entrance to a cave, which is also the exit, depending.

A cave is made almost entirely of the rock that isn’t there, plus an echo.

Stalagmite

A stalagmite, growing (not visible at this shutter speed).

A stalagmite grows upward about a centimetre a century, and has no plans for when it gets there.