Collect Gems on Beach in Lanzarote
Volcanic Peridots at Charco de los Clicos in Spain’s Canary Islands
When pounding surf broke out one side of a seaside volcanic crater, it left a dramatic cove with gemstones sprinkling the sand. Gather genuine peridots under sea cliffs.
The thin rim of a collapsed volcanic crater – a caldera -- can’t last forever when it’s battered by the full force of the Atlantic Ocean. On the coast of Lanzarote, one of Spain’s Canary Islands a small caldera has broken to form a rocky amphitheater overlooking the sea.
Inside the cove formed by the crater’s wall is a beach where sharp-eyed tourists and locals gather peridots, a semi-precious gemstone that the sea continues to pry loose from the volcano’s rim.
But free gem stones is not Charco de los Clicos’s only attraction. It is one of the island’s many scenic sites, with variegated colors in the towering volcanic cliffs and a tall jagged sea stack – a chunk of the rim that broke free and fell into to cove. The volcanic rock, eroded by the sea, appears to be twisted and swirled into fantastic shapes, and lies in layers of different colors. The best time of day to see the cliffs is late afternoon or at sunset, since they face the west and the sun picks out and deepens the many colors.
A Rare Volcanic Phenomenon
Along with these dramatic rock formations is the charco itself – a green lagoon captured in a depression at one side of the cove. The lagoon is a rare example of hydrovolcanism, caused when hot magma (molten volcanic material) meets water. This lagoon is fed by seawater that runs underground through cracks and tunnels in the volcanic rock beneath the beach, and is very rich in salt. This accounts for the particular kind of seaweed that thrives there and gives the lagoon its bright green color.
The lagoon has been shrinking in recent years, and scientists are trying to figure out why – without success so far. The best view of the lagoon is from the cliffs at the northern end, from a path that leads down from the little town of El Golfo. The easiest approach to the beach itself is from the south, where the coastal road leads down almost to its level.
Pick up Gems on the Beach
As the cliffs continue to break away, with them come crystals of green peridot that mix with the coarse sand. Peridotes are semi-precious stones, the gemstone form of the mineral olivine. They are thought to be fragments of the earth’s mantle – a very thin inner layer -- that are carried out in the lava when a volcano erupts. Local jewelry makers drill them to make the necklaces sold all over the island.
Collecting a handful on the beach at Charco de los Clicos requires patience, sharp eyes and a few tips. They are rarely found by just kicking through the sand or water-worn pebbles. Instead, look in the band of coarse sand and tiny pebbles around the high-water line. Stir the tiny rocks with your fingers, looking closely for tiny glints of green. Don’t expect to find large peridots – although these are not uncommon – but with sharp eyes you can quickly collect a handful of small ones.
The bright green stones are no replacement for emeralds, but where can you gather emeralds free?
