What if we told you that sand that you are accustomed to seeing on the beach is not really a mundane light brown, but a mix of bright colors that resembles gems? While it may seem a little far-fetched, that's what Professor Gary Greenberg discovered when he magnified each grain of sand 250 times - And, he has photographs to prove it.

The biomedical researcher spent five years searching through thousands of tiny rocks from beaches all over the world to seek out these sparkly specimens and then arranging them to take these perfect pictures - Which as you can imagine, was no easy task.

In order to get the high resolution picture quality he desired, the Hawaii-based photographer had to develop a new technique that involved clicking numerous photos from different angles and then combining them, with the help of special software - A process that took hours for each grain of sand. The results as you can see, are stunning!

This is not the first time Mr. Greenberg has vowed the world with his micro-photography. Over the years, he has worked his magic on flowers and even food - All of which have been published into amazing coffee books and even an adventure book for kids entitled Mary's Magic Microscope. Be sure to check them out at sandgrains.com.

Resources:dailymail.co.uk, gizmag.com