What makes a stone worth keeping

Weight in the palm comes first. A stone that feels right to hold usually looks right on a chain.

Then surface. We look for stones the water has finished — no fresh chips, no sharp faces, an even skin from end to end.

Then light. Wet a white stone and hold it up. Some go dull. A few glow at the edges, and those are the ones we set.

Everything else goes back to the beach. That is part of the deal we made with the shore.