I think in my entire time with the game I’ve found exactly one artifact that was worth keeping around and using in small doses. The last one I found hurt me for just going near it, and the one before that hurt to pick up and summoned shadows to attack me when used.
At this point I don’t even go out of my way to find them. I just stumble over them, pick them up, and promptly throw them away once I start taking damage or going radioactive or whatever. If the vehicle additions mod didn’t add a reason to want vortex stones, I’d never enter a mine at all.