South Africa
Sand Origin
Random Sand Fact
Beaches with purple sand all over are uncommon; you’ll only find it in a few places in the world – such as South Africa.
The purple color comes with garnet minerals. Even if purple garnet is a common sand mineral, it’s usually found in low quantities. When mined, it’s used as an abrasive material. For example, to sandblast.
If you’re a beach bum stumbling on thin layers of purple streaks on beaches is not too unusual. Garnet sand is lighter than other sands and accumulates on top of other sand areas in parts of beaches where it doesn’t easily wash away.
A rare exception with a purple beach is Hondeklip Bay, on the northwest cape of South Africa, where patches of garnet sand extend deep. You can find diamonds in the very same area, however deep, deep down in the sands.
Sand – it comes in all the colors of the rainbow!