Geologist Washing Garnet Sand in St Louis

Crisp late-afternoon light illuminates a tightly cropped view of a geologist's hands swirling water in a black plastic sample pan. Tiny, translucent garnet grains of deep red and orange shift beneath the surface, separating from lighter quartz sand. Beside the pan, rough black volcanic rocks rest on a wet surface, their jagged edges catching the sun. Water droplets line the smooth plastic rim, and the stones glisten with moisture. The water ripples gently, distorting the reflection of the bright sky on the pan's interior. One dark garnet grain rests motionless against the curved white interior wall of the pan.