Stone Eight is a small delicate jasper with light and dark patches of water-colour texture. I found it on Birdlings Flat, near Christchurch, a couple of years ago, and it came out of the final polish tumble only three days ago. I have found similar stones on a number of different beaches. It is the patches of light colour and landscape-like patterns that catch my eye.
The photo above (top right) compares Stone Eight with a $2 coin. I often come across some very colourful and interesting small stones on beaches, many even smaller than Stone Eight. If they have chips out of them, I leave them on the beach because tumbling them to smooth them out would reduce the stones sometimes to nothing. However, some like Stone Eight are too interesting to pass over. Furthermore, small stones in a barrel help the tumbling process by ensuring that all stones regularly bump into each other. See my previous Post “Little Things” – The Value of Small Stones.
A closer look at Stone Eight reveals a number of small cracks and fault lines contributing to its surface pattern:
Many stones on New Zealand beaches carry within them such testaments to the geological upheavals experienced in the past and the forces of stress that shape them.
If you have not already seen it, the first Post in this Series is Stay-at-Home Day One. The next Post in this Series is Stay-at-Home Day Nine.
Really enjoying the stone a day posts John. Keep ’em rolling (sorry, bad pun?)
I’d give you 6 out of 10 for that pun. It could maybe be more polished given more time and thought(?).
Thanks for the encouragement, appreciate it.