Garnets

We loved picking sapphires out of the Montana gravel so much that we brought back a bucket-load to search through at home. That will occupy a few autumn evenings while we wait for the big ones to come back from the cutter.

We also bought ten pounds of Zambian gravel in which supposedly lurks a garnet or two. They say you are guaranteed to find at least one garnet in each bag.

Aya dished out a bowl-full, washing and swirling over the balcony wall.

Muddy stone soup.

There, that dark, glassy one in the lower middle right.

Okay, that's impressive.