Bodhi Bilyeu, 8, of Augusta hunts Tuesday for gems, rocks and geodes on the Sandy River in the Fairbanks section of Farmington. Donna M. Perry/Sun Journal

FARMINGTON — Bodhi Bilyeu of Augusta sifted through rocks and sand Tuesday, trying to find gems on the Sandy River beach.

The 8-year-old has turned collecting gems and geodes into a hobby. “I dig looking for cool gems,” Bilyeu said.

He has two shelves of gems at his home, he said, including three real amethysts.

On Tuesday, Bilyeu took a metal colander full of sand from the beach down to the water to wash away sand in his search for treasure. His father, Andrew Bilyeu, helped out with sifting through the sand.

Continuing to search for gems, Bodhi Bilyeu dug up a rock on the shoreline with a garden shovel. His father cautioned him to dig safely, without hurting himself. With another rock successfully dug out, he picked it up and put it in a pile. Bodhi Bilyeu planned to take the rocks home in hopes of cracking them open, he said.

“When I dig up the sand, I find a bunch of little rocks,” he said, as he continued to browse.

The Farmington-born youngster was excited to get a better look at his finds.

Andrew Bilyeu of Augusta, right, shows his son, Bodhi Bilyeu, 8, how to use a garden shovel to dig up a rock Tuesday on the shore of the Sandy River in the Fairbanks section of Farmington. Donna M. Perry/Sun Journal

Bodhi Bilyeu, 8, of Augusta carries a rock from the Sandy River to the shore Tuesday in the Fairbanks section of Farmington. He has made it a hobby to collect, gems, geodes and rocks. Donna M. Perry/Sun Journal