Hidden Jewels: Magnified Grains of Sand

Posted on July 23, 2015 by Mary Hood | 0 Comments

Magnified grains of sand.

From the time we are children, we are always reminded that there no two snowflakes are the same, a beautiful truth that illustrates the complexity of the world at a microscopic level. Poets and mentors alike celebrate the parallels between snowflakes and people: each person is just as beautiful and individual as a snowflake.

We don’t always think of sand in the same way, however, but it’s arguably just as alluring and intricate as snow, especially when we get up close—really close. When sand is magnified, anywhere between 100 and 250x, we can clearly observe that each grain is unique—and stunningly beautiful. Each grain is its own, mysterious jewel.

These images of magnified sand show that not all sand is simply white or grey or brown. Some grains are bright blue or magnetic purple. Some still resemble the shells from which they came while others look like tiny, polished semi-precious stones.

Various types of sand, magnified 250x.

Sand is created from weathered island rock, sea cliffs, reefs, and shells. Minerals in sand may include quartz, feldspar, calcium carbonate, olivine, or mica. Some sand comes from Volcanic glass and may be green or black.  There is an estimated 2,000 billion billion grains of sand in the world! 

Photos: Inspiration Green

Posted in beauty in imperfection, nature, organic, Ponderings, sand

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