Nine Sand Grains

Every grain of sand in the world is unique and beautiful when viewed through the microscope. If each grain of sand is so beautiful and unique, imagine how beautiful and unique each person is?

Blue, Orange & Pink Sand Grains

The tip of a spiral shell has broken off and become a grain of sand. After being repeatedly tumbled by action of the surf this spiral sand grain has become opalescent in character. It is surrounded by bits of coral, shell, and volcanic material.

Footprints, Sunset &
3 Sand Grains

Sponge Spicules with Spiral Sand Grain 1

Here two sponge spicules surround a blue spiral sand grain. Sponge spicules are the internal skeleton of most species of sponges. They are made of silica.

Sunset with Spiral Sand Grain

The tip of a spiral shell has broken off and become a tiny grain of sand. It is a “world in a grain of sand”, seen here floating in the sky just after sunset.

Bermuda Sand Grains

Sand grains from the beaches of tropical islands like Bermuda are filled with fascinating remnants of biological organisms, including sea urchin spines, shell fragments, bits of coral, glass-like sponge spicules, and the tiny shells of single-cell protists known as forams.

Sand Time

Each grain of sand represents a moment captured in time.  It is somewhere on its path from its creation to erosion and recycling back into the earth.

Heart Gems

Sand grains from around the world are mixed together like a pouch full of gems. The sand grains are from Maui, Hawaii, Japan, California, Ireland, Bermuda, and Minnesota.

Falling Sand

Maui sand grains from Makena Point, Maui, Hawaii, fall into place. There is a red volcanic outcropping at Makena Point, which erodes into reddish black beach sand.

Maui Sand Grains
Arrangement #2

This image is a handful of sand grains selected from a beach in Maui and are arranged onto a black background. The colors and shapes of these tiny grains of sand are surprisingly different and astonishingly beautiful, each with it’s own individual in character.

Footprints, Sky & Maui Sand Grains

When we walk along the beach we are strolling atop millions of years of biological and geological history. Sand from Maui, Hawaii contains grains of volcanic origins, as well as the many remnants of biological organisms such as shell fragments, sea urchins spines, sponge spicules, bits of coral and forams.

Maui Sand Grains Panorama

Hawaiian Sand Grains Arrangement

Puffy Stars

Star-Shaped Sand Grains from Okinawa. These tiny foram, a type of protozoa, secrete beautiful star-shaped, calcium carbonate shells, or tests.

Sand Clouds

Maui Sand Grains appear to float in the Sky with the clouds. These spectacular grains of sand were selected from a thimble-full of Maui sand.

Maui Red

Three sand grains from the red sand beach at Makena Point, Maui are heavily eroded, revealing their beautiful interiors.

Sponge Spicules with Spiral Sand Grain 2

Three sponge spicules surround a blue spiral sand grain. Sponge spicules are the internal skeleton of most species of sponges. They are made of silica.

Puffy Star

Sand grains from Okinawa, Japan are made from the skeletons of single-celled forams that produce these beautiful little shells.