Category Archives: Sand

As well as collecting sand in the traditional manner, there is another way of adding sand to your collection, making your own. Sand is made from a variety of materials with quartz being perhaps the most common, followed by organic … Continue reading →

Sand and gravel pits can provide many different samples for Sand Collecting. In fact, on a recent visit to one such quarry, it was not difficult to gather around ten different samples and on another visit I was able to … Continue reading →

One of the easiest ways to get more from your sand is to test for magnetic minerals such as magnetite. To do this, all you need is a magnet, which is then lightly dragged across the surface of the sample. … Continue reading →

What is sand collecting? Sand collecting is a relatively inexpensive though often time-consuming pastime attracting an ever-increasing number of enthusiasts, known as Arenophiles, who share a passion for collecting small samples of sand, from beaches, rivers, dunes, streams, quarries and … Continue reading →

A few quick questions and answers of the subject of sand. What actually is sand? Sand is a granular material made up of fine loose particles ranging in size from 0.0625 mm up to 2.00 mm. Particles larger than 2.00 … Continue reading →

When I first started collecting sand back in 2015, my original idea was to limit my collecting to sand, sand and nothing else but sand. However, it did not take me long to discover that there was a plentiful supply … Continue reading →

Many sand collectors manage just fine without any specific sampling tools, just using their fingers or a old 35 mm film canister to scoop sand into their sampling bags or containers. This is fine when the sand is nice and … Continue reading →

Once you return home with your carefully gathered samples of sand, you need to prepare them a little before they are finally ready for storage or display. The first thing you need to consider is whether the samples need to … Continue reading →

Rivers and streams are important sources for the sand collector and are often overlooked in favour of the more obvious sand found at beaches and dunes. But rivers should not be overlooked as they can provide a variety of sand … Continue reading →

Finding places to collect sand often starts with local knowledge, you visit the locations where you know sand can be found. After a while, and it could be quite a while, you start running out of places to look. This … Continue reading →