What is what color is sand?

Sand color is incredibly variable and depends entirely on the composition of the sand. The most common colors are:

• Beige/Tan/Yellow: This is the most ubiquitous color, usually resulting from the presence of quartz (silicon dioxide), which is often a pale yellowish or colorless mineral. Slight variations in mineral impurities or the presence of iron oxides can shift the color to more yellow or tan.

• White: Pure quartz sand, free from most impurities, will appear white. Coral sands, made up of broken coral fragments, can also be white or very light in color.

• Brown/Red/Orange: These colors are typically due to the presence of iron oxides. The more iron oxide, the deeper and redder the color. Hematite, a reddish-brown iron oxide, is a common culprit.

• Black: Volcanic sand, often composed of basalt or other dark volcanic minerals, will appear black or very dark gray.

• Pink/Purple: These rarer colors are often found in areas with high concentrations of specific minerals or shell fragments with reddish or purplish hues.

• Gray: Gray sand usually results from a mix of minerals, lacking the dominant presence of a single strongly-colored component.

Essentially, the color of sand is a reflection of the geological history and composition of the rocks and minerals that have been broken down and deposited to form the sand. Different locations will have drastically different colors.