Sand grains magnified 110-250 times reveal each grain is unique.
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, a pink shell fragment, a foram (a type of protozoa) and volcanic material. Photo copyright Dr. Gary Greenberg.
A handful of sand grains selected from a beach in Maui and arranged on a black background. Photo copyright Dr. Gary Greenberg.
Every grain of sand in the world is unique when viewed through a microscope.
Sand magnified 250 times. Photo copyright Dr. Gary Greenberg.
Sand Magnified. Photo by Yanping Wang.
Sand magnified 250 times. Photo via Tumblr.
Sand Magnified Around The World
The glacially deposited sands around Lake Winnibigoshish, Minnesota, contain abundant sediments from the igneous and metamorphic minerals of the Lake Superior basin. A sample includes pink garnets, green epidote, iron-rich red agates, black magnetite, and hematite. Photo copyright Dr. Gary Greenberg.
Magnified grains of star sand from Southern Japan, made up of the calcified shells of tiny organisms. Photo by Richard Mouser Williams.
Beautiful Framed Seashell
Neat idea for decorating a beach house, or any space you want a splash of the sea. The frame is 14″x17″, and yes, it’s a real seashell. Sold by Art.com for $119.99.
Magnified grains of Star Sand. Photo by Richard Mouser Williams.
Puffy Stars: Star-Shaped Sand Grains from Okinawa. These tiny foram, a type of protozoa, secrete beautiful star-shaped, calcium carbonate shells, or tests. Photo via sandgrains.com.
Coral sand magnified one-hundred times using transmission electron microscopy, brightfield mode. By Dr. David Maitland, Feltwell, UK, microscopyu.com
Many grains of sand are tiny crystals (shiny, flat-sided solids). Sand from Zushi Beach, Japan, contains what looks like a sapphire crystal. The crystal is larger than the surrounding grains and has survived eroding because of its hardness and quality. Photo copyright Dr. Gary Greenberg.
Fragments of baby sea urchin shells, magnified one-hundred times. Biogenic sand, formed from the remains of marine life, is the major ingredient of many tropical beaches. Via popgive.com. Originally found at “popgive.com/2009/01/tiny-work-of-art-in-each-grain-of-sand.html”
A magnified view of the tropical beach sand from the Caribbean island of St. John (U.S. Virgin Islands). The grains include porous fragments of brightly-colored corals, minute foraminiferan shells, fragments of sea shells and shiny, star-shaped sponge spicules. Originally found at “waynesword.palomar.edu/ww0704b.htm”
Sand Photographer Dr. Gary Greenberg
Every grain of sand is a jewel waiting to be discovered. That’s what Dr. Gary Greenberg found when he first turned his microscope on beach sand. Gemlike minerals, colorful coral fragments, and delicate microscopic shells reveal that sand comprises much more than tiny beige rocks.
Author and photographer Dr. Gary Greenberg is a visual artist who creatively combines art with science. He has a Ph.D. in biomedical research from University College London and holds 17 patents for high-definition 3-D light microscopes. Dr. Greenberg lives in Haiku, Hawaii.
Dr. Greenberg has published two books:
- A Grain of Sand: Nature’s Secret Wonder
- The Secrets of Sand: A Journey into the Amazing Microscopic World of Sand
The Universe Of Sand
Carl Sagan famously remarked “the total number of stars in the universe is greater than all the grains of sand on all the beaches on the planet Earth.” University of Hawai’i researches estimate that the total number of ‘all’ grains of sand on the whole planet could be approximately 75 billion billion. Scientists still believe there are more stars in the Universe.
Speaking of planets: If a grain of sand represented an entire galaxy; so each grain of sand, or galaxy, contains 100’s of billions of stars, you would need to fill six rooms full of sand to contain all the galaxies in the known universe. If you drilled a tiny hole in one of the grains of sand, ‘our Milky Way universe,’ that would be the area that we have been capable of seaching for planets so far. About 2000 planets have been discovered so far.
It has been said …. ‘As Man is, so God was. As God is, so Man may become.’ Don’t give up on evolution as a progression toward a degree of perfection within a species.
A hidden world revealed.
How great Our God must be. Greater than we ever imagined.
I really enjoy science, but I Love God! He makes us all see what is Truth….and size really doesn’t matter! What matters is the matter! But some of us choose to ask what the matter is….when it stares you right in the face every day…we all matter! Amen
This is truly inspiring but the comments ….
ENJOY ……
THIS IS TRULY REMAARKABLE. NEVER WILL I LOOK AT THE SAND AGAIN AND THINK EVERY GRAIN IS THE SAME. I WILL TAKE A CLOSER LOOK FROM NOW ON.
THANK YOU,
ELIZABETH
I remember from my high school days that Sir James Jeans was responsible for that quote. I do believe he was around long before Sagan was even born. Great quote whoever said it. I use it whenever I ‘m trying to impress anyone who I might be star-gazing with.
The photos are beautiful and fascinating, as is all of life—-whether or not God had anything to do with it.
For without me, ye can do nothing’
God had and has everything to do with it…and all.
Here we go again…. god made beautiful sand! Really? you’re saying he shows his glory in tiny wonders, yet sits on his hand each day as thousands of children die horrible deaths in religious conflicts that plague this earth?
‘and jesus will come back.’ So what is he waiting for? More women to be raped? Children to starve? What exactly what is the agenda here?
You really need to read more than just one book…
Ed Hart
Wes… my poor delusional friend, could you explain how jebus, who said he was the son of god became god? Or his own father? I mean I have read about how Noah had sex with his son, but how did jebus become his own son… I mean father…
I think this is another example of interpretation. Every god botherer has his, or her, own interpretation of the words written by man, in the bible. That’s right, god did not write the bible!!
Anyway, science is for those who use their brain in an enlightened sense. Maybe you should stick with religious web sites, and stay away from sites that contain fact. I wouldn’t want you you to get upset and start another un-holy war.
Peace and Love
Ed Hart
Wow,how beautiful. I never would have thought that if you magnify sand it would not be sand at
all but it is still sand only more beautiful now that
we know it is comprised of other things also. One
thing I would like to know is that how can a beautiful idea of photographing sand turned into a discussion about GOD and what GOD does or
does not due. I know that people for a long time
have involved GOD into the scientific community,
but to me GOD is GOD and there is no other. We
should not question his wisdom. Thanks for the
beautiful pictures.
Thank you for reminding me of this poem by William Blake:
To see the world in a grain of sand,
and heaven in a wildflower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
and eternity in an hour.
This is absolutely beautiful to see. Thanks you for giving us another magnified glimpse of God’s wonders and greatness. – Kate, I love that you used Scripture; John 1:1-3 —Here’s another Scripture to ponder — I’m thinking of Ryan — Isaiah 55:9-11 – (God speaking) — ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord.
As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. 10 – as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for he sower and bread for the eater, 11- so is my word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
Lori, You don’t seem to understand what you are looking at. These grains of sand were not created ‘in the beginning.’ They are the product of rocks and minerals and sea creature parts being broken and worn over many years. You and others can say ‘Oooh.. God must have made them…but 1. By all evidence they are products of natural processes and 2. It seems inconsistent to attribute any good or beautiful thing to ‘God’ but find no problem with the same God allowing thousands of children and babies to die of natural disasters, starvation, disease, and abuse every day. If such a god exists, I have a hard time seeing how he is worthy of respect let alone worship, but it seems more likely he does not exist. I and many others find we can still enjoy and marvel at the wonders of the world without invoking magical beings.
I have sand images that tell a story, carve an animal, a tree, a bird…unknown creatures..etc.
My photos and studies date back to 2007, and
are quite extraordinary…However, I never knew the sand itself was such a treasure. Thank you for sharing.
What amazing and beautiful pictures. Who would have thought sand can be so beautiful. I’ve read all the comments and I am surprised. These pictures are not about if God exists or not. Why do people always have to bring religion into everything and carry on how wonderful God is? This is about sand and not about God. Nobody wants to read about religion here. There are other websites for that.
I can’t thank you enough for this wonderful presentation!! This is what makes my computer worth whatever it costs to keep my mind and heart learning more every day.
I always share this kind of email with all my friends. God Bless!!
What difference does it make what you believe, until you can answer the question ‘Why does anything exist?’ Whether you are a religious person or a scientist, that question unites us all in its ultimate unanswerability.
A ‘WITCH’ is responsible for this. Prove it ain’t so.
These pictures are beautiful! Makes me wish I had a microscope and a handful of sand to sit and look at each grain to see the wonderous varying formations.
Beautiful pictures… and yea, what is with all the religious stuff?
Why are we here?
Why do we exist?
What’s our purpose?
Why can’t you just be happy with being alive now? What is so horrible about this world, that you can’t wait to get out of it?
Pretty sand… Millions of years, in the making.
Peace and Love
My first thought when I saw how incredibly beautiful and unique these grains of sand are was of the promise YHWH made to Abraham. He said Abe’s descendents would be more than the sands of the sea and more than the stars of the heavens. But it’s more than that–these pictures of gorgeous grains of sand has also reminded me that each one of US is unique and gorgeous in YHWH’s eyes, and that’s how He likes it. No matter how you look to yourself, He thinks you are beautiful and unique and He wanted someone just like you in His world. Right now I feel so loved and special! Thank you, My Creator!
How spectacular to see the minute beauty captured in each of these grains of sand. How much more beauty is there that the naked eye doesn’t see?! TONNES!!
This is so spectacular and beautiful..
thank you!
To be able to truly see…what a wonder! Now if only the human population could be one homogenous whole, with all the beautiful differences!
simply wonderful collections yet to treasure
1
… Thank you.
THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE. SECRETS OF GREAT NATURE.
Who needs gems and jewelry. Just go to the beach. Fantastic
The photographs are spectacular as well as the commentaries at the end.
Thank you.
Truly our God is an awasome God.
How marvlolous are thy works, and that my soul knowth right well.
I will never take a walk on a beach and feel the same again. How beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing this little additional ‘peace of heaven on earth’. Sky*
this is wonderful. every child or person should be able to view this, it shows how wonderful God is when he made these sand. Re
Just spend a week in the sand these pictures give it a whole new perspective…
Wow! What a magnificent God we serve. He said Abraham’s offspring would be more numerous than the sand!!
If you go to Face book to Faces of Water there is the same thing that was done with water as with sand. Its very cool.. Its hard to believe that we are walking on all of this beauty while taking a stroll on the beach….
re #488 – I think on the evidence here, we would be closer to truth to marvel at the sheer number of possibilities for life in this universe, rather than the magnificence of any or all Human contrived ‘gods’.
I think it takes a lot more faith to believe that all the complexities of our world happened ‘by accident’, rather than by the design of a living, infinitely creative God.
A beautiful study
I can honestly say that never again will I see true natural art in it’s rarest form. I consider it atrue honor to have been able to see such beauty.
How amazing the beach sand can be!!!
This is incredibly beautiful!!!
Pretty incredible imagery! Hope you enjoy.
The unique sand grains create a unique ‘song’ when waves crash upon the shore. It is this ‘song’ that female baby turtles hear while still in their egg. They memorize it and they return to it 10 years later when it is time to nest.
I wonder what an Indian sand painting would look like?
And to think, it all began with one tiny particle, smaller than an atom, exploding, creating all the energy, all of everything there is today, and will be tomorrow.
This is truly amazing. I have never seen anything like it in all my life time! After seeing this I will never view a sandy beach the same way.
As my email address: Sea N Sand denotes, I am a fan of the seashore having a nice shell collection. This item I found very fascinating. Kudos to the photographers who worked to make us aware of this beautiful part of the beach that we don’t always think of. Are there any screensavers, or wallpaper images available for download?