Exploring the beach for pebbles
By 41Combedale
@41CombedaleRoad (5966)
Greece
June 29, 2016 2:52pm CST
Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend, as the song claims, but I am fascinated by more humble stones, namely beach pebbles. When I go to the beach I always come back with a few interesting pebbles in my bag. The colours are so varied, and the pebbles comprise many different types of rock.
I like to imagine that they may have started out as part of a mountain but I’ve no idea what disturbances of nature turn mountains into rocks, rocks into pebbles and eventually pebbles into sand. All I know is that when I pick up a pebble , rounded and smoothed by the sea, I feel as though I am holding a piece of pre-history in my hand.
Yesterday the beach was littered with stones, mostly rather large ones recently deposited by high winds and wild waves. There were lots of smaller stones on the edge of the water and I paddled a little for these. I have varnished them to bring out the colours and to share the pleasure with you.
9 people like this
11 responses
@41CombedaleRoad (5966)
• Greece
1 Jul 16
At least you can enjoy what you can find, and I am sure we all might share your desire to find a diamond in there somewhere. The only chance might be if a ring was washed ashore.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (502194)
• Italy
1 Jul 16
@41CombedaleRoad It's not impossible to find diamonds on a beach, but only in South Africa. I have read that you can find diamonds on tidal terraces along the beach between Orangemund and Luderitz in Namibia. May be that @inlemay can tell us more.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (381837)
• Rockingham, Australia
30 Jun 16
These are pretty stones. It is hard to go to the beach and not pick up pebbles isn't it?
@41CombedaleRoad (5966)
• Greece
1 Jul 16
Hard to not pick up pebbles and hard not to paddle while I do it. What kind of stones predominate on Australian beaches?
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (381837)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Jul 16
@41CombedaleRoad I don't know what they're called but most of our beaches are sandy and have lots of shells. We don't have pebble beaches like you do in England.
@Hatley (163772)
• Garden Grove, California
29 Jun 16
U gave been a rock hound fior yearss aadn knoiw you can fiund allk soirs of really pretty rocks of allkinds and some are gem stones Ihad a lovely collectionm but we got evicted and some where in all the upsetof our world then the collection got lost. sad to say
@41CombedaleRoad (5966)
• Greece
1 Jul 16
If you still have the time and the opportunity then why not start again with a small collection.
1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39503)
• United States
29 Jun 16
yer jest a gal 'fter my own heart! i adore rocks 'f all sizes/colors/shapes. i don't recall the entire process'f the evolution 'f pebbles'n sand. takes eons no doubt fer some? love how ya varnished 'em to preserve that beauty. wish i'd done that with some'f my bigger pieces out by the pond. their colors now faded, awash from the sun. big hugs!
@41CombedaleRoad (5966)
• Greece
1 Jul 16
I'd never thought that stones would bleach in the sun...guess I have never lived in a place that was hot enough for that. Perhaps it is not too late to cheat a bit and add a little colour of your own to those large pieces?
1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39503)
• United States
1 Jul 16
@41CombedaleRoad 'n the rare chances't rains, their colors come back to life. aint sure what'd be good (safe fer the environment 'n long-lastin') to use to do such? i'd like to do the brick patio's well some day.
@JohnRoberts (109841)
• Los Angeles, California
29 Jun 16
I have picked up beach pebbles polished by the sea. Here on the Pacific, smooth white Quartz is common.
@41CombedaleRoad (5966)
• Greece
1 Jul 16
That sounds very nice, I have a friend who combs the beach for sea glass, but I never seem to find anything like that.
@JohnRoberts (109841)
• Los Angeles, California
1 Jul 16
@41CombedaleRoad I have found sea glass. Just tiny bits in Oregon. But a ton in Northern California at a spot known as the best sea glass beach in the world.
@BelleStarr (61463)
• United States
29 Jun 16
I have to admit that I love to gather stones on the beach as well, so much mystery and beauty.
@41CombedaleRoad (5966)
• Greece
1 Jul 16
I love the mystery part most of all and I wish I knew someone who could tell me more about the stones I pick up.
1 person likes this
@41CombedaleRoad (5966)
• Greece
1 Jul 16
I have to find some way to put them to good use now....
1 person likes this
@41CombedaleRoad (5966)
• Greece
1 Jul 16
The stones only shimmer when they are wet of course, so you need to imagine shallow water just filtering over the stones on the edge of the shore.
