Sometimes you should be amazed just how cheap some objects are. Like for instance this bowl: If you look at the way it is produced, you might think it is a wasteful way of making something beautiful: big blocks of stone are broken into somewhat rectangular shapes that fit the factory machines, then big cylinders are cut out of them using diamond tipped circular cutting saws. These are then cut down to size with other saws, and ground down further in lathes, so they come to form a bowl and a lid. Stainless steel rims are added for decoration, and the end product can then be sold for maybe twenty-five dollars. I learned that last bit when I got curious, because I was expecting it to cost maybe one hundred dollars.