All the Colours of Sand

A beach can tell you its history and makeup based on the sand. 

Sand is formed through the erosion of rocks and minerals by waves.  Beaches with coarse sand are young, while beaches with fine sand are older.  The colour of beach sand comes from its mineralogy and content of the surrounding area.  Here are some of the minerals that make up the vast colours of sand around the world:

• White sand beaches are the result of finely ground quartz crystals, as well as pulverized pieces of dead coral that are made of calcium carbonate
• Red sand beaches and orange sand beaches are the result of iron-rich minerals
• Pink sand beaches are the result of nearby corals.  Pink is formed when white sand is mixed with red shells or calcium carbonate from coral.
• Purple sand beaches are the result of manganese garnet, as well as fine grain pink sand with darker grains
• Black sand beaches are the result of basalt deposits from volcanic activity
• Green sand beaches are the result of olivine, which forms as lava cools