{"id":21001,"date":"2023-06-12T03:00:56","date_gmt":"2023-06-12T10:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rockngem.com\/?p=21001"},"modified":"2023-06-15T07:20:21","modified_gmt":"2023-06-15T14:20:21","slug":"what-is-sea-glass","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rockngem.com\/what-is-sea-glass\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Sea Glass & Where to Find It"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sea glass hunting is like a treasure hunt. With pail in hand and the ocean waves softly undulating and dousing the sand, beachcombers, including fossil hunters in Florida<\/a>, scour the shores for various curiosities like shark teeth<\/a> and sea glass.<\/p>\n

Seashells, fossils, driftwood, and other natural artifacts are commonly sought treasures, but some searchers seek broken bits of glass. No, they\u2019re not on a clean-up-the-beach crusade. They\u2019re hunting for sea glass. Created by both man and nature, sea glass is one of the ultimate examples of one person\u2019s trash being another person\u2019s treasure. When collecting, it’s important to remember the rules and find out is it legal to collect rocks<\/a> and sea glass in your area.<\/p>\n

What is Sea Glass?<\/h2>\n
\"sea-glass\"<\/a>
Pin this post to save this information for later.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sea glass, also called beach glass, is broken pieces of old glass naturally recycled by an ocean or a large lake. Old bottles, jars, and other trash made of glass carelessly discarded into oceans decades ago wash back up on the shore after being tumbled through the sand and surf. What\u2019s left behind are smooth edged glass pieces that are almost stone-like but with a unique frosted appearance.<\/p>\n

The best beaches for finding sea glass are those that were formerly dumping grounds.<\/p>\n

Residents of many coastal towns simply threw their household garbage into the ocean. There are areas where appliances, cars, and even entire buildings were pushed over cliffs to the shore below with the idea that the ocean would wash the trash away.<\/p>\n

When this didn\u2019t work out as planned, citizens in places like Fort Bragg, California, had to physically clear their beaches of massive amounts of debris. On the plus side, what was once a dump is now a popular destination for sea glass enthusiasts from around the world. Glass Beach in Fort Bragg is probably the most famous beach for finding sea glass worldwide. The town even boasts an entire museum dedicated to sea glass \u2013 the International Sea Glass Museum.<\/p>\n

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Various pieces of sea glass found and legally collected on California beaches.
Courtesy Moira K. McGhee<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A Dedicated Sea Glass Collector<\/h2>\n

Collecting sea glass has long been a passion of Susan Wilson, owner of Liliana Design in Scituate, Massachusetts (lilianadesigns.com<\/a>). She has been collecting sea glass since childhood and later turned her hobby into a lucrative custom jewelry business.<\/p>\n

\u201cWalking the Cape Cod shores looking for that coveted blue piece was exciting and rewarding as a child. It still is! Here we have a case of trash to treasure,\u201d said Wilson \u201cWhen I found a piece of sea glass, I treated it much like a gemstone. My childhood imagination made me think of shipwrecks and lost bottles from treasure chests at sea. I was recently reminded that I would bring a pocket full of sea glass to school to share my treasures with my young friends. It\u2019s not that different for me today. I still go out and hunt for sea glass when the tide is low and revel in each find, but today, I hunt with more knowledge of where the sea glass originated and this just adds to the intrigue.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sea Glass vs. Beach Glass<\/h2>\n

The primary difference between sea glass and beach glass is the body of water that created it. Sea glass comes from a saltwater environment, while beach glass comes from a freshwater environment. However, sea glass is found on a beach, so it wouldn\u2019t technically be incorrect to also call it beach glass, even though diehard collectors may say you can\u2019t use the terms interchangeably.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo my knowledge, beach glass from lakes and rivers is slightly different from sea glass from the ocean,\u201d Wilson said. \u201cSea glass has typically a more frosted appearance and little \u2018C\u2019 marks that are believed to be created by the action of saltwater, rock and sand. Beach glass seems to be more smooth and less frosted, probably because of the freshwater environment and less rugged shore from where they were made.\u201d<\/p>\n

Guessing Glass Age<\/h2>\n

Dating sea glass is a tricky undertaking.<\/p>\n

However, long-time sea glass hunters have figured out various ways to guestimate the age of some sea glass pieces. Pitting and frosting are good indicators of age, as these traits require a certain amount of time in the water to materialize. Glass colors may help pinpoint the original age of a piece based on when specific colors became available or obsolete. Although there\u2019s no conclusive way to pinpoint the exact age of glass fragments, it\u2019s fun to try.<\/p>\n

Wilson said the oldest pieces of sea glass she\u2019s probably ever found were some of her gray pieces. These pieces had bubbles in them that indicated they were likely handblown and in the ocean for a long time.<\/p>\n

\u201c[These were] very frosted and round but also very thick and quite large, so I tended to keep them on a shelf,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s difficult to accurately date sea glass but I inherited a brass microscope from my parents who were scientists and I use that to help identify and date pieces. I find it fascinating and it satisfies the explorer in me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"sea-glass\"
Various pieces of sea glass found and legally collected on California beaches.
Courtesy Moira K. McGhee<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sea Glass Colors<\/h2>\n

Besides age, sea glass collectors continually look for rare glass colors. Certain colors, such as green, brown, and clear\/white, are the most abundant colors because they were commonly used for bottles, jars, and other glass containers. Colors like red, orange, and yellow are much more scarce.<\/p>\n

Wilson says that by many people\u2019s accounts, \u201cthe rarest colors of sea glass are orange, turquoise and red. Manufacturers didn\u2019t commonly use these colors for bottles or dishware. These colors were hard to create in glass, so they weren\u2019t highly commercially made.\u201d<\/p>\n

Black, teal and gray come next and are from old bottles, most likely pre-1900s when it was common to add iron slag to the silica for the black color. Gray was likely from a piece of leaded glass tableware or gray bottles of times past and teal from the combination of cobalt, iron, and chromium.<\/p>\n

According to Wilson, much less common are pink, aqua, cobalt, cornflower and deeper purple pieces. Blues are the most popular among collectors but aren\u2019t so rare as they came from more common chlorine bottles and perfume bottles as well as dishware. \u201cThey\u2019re still much less common than the green, seafoam (older coke bottles), white, and brown pieces, which are from beer, beverage and wine bottles mostly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Common sources for popular colors include:<\/h2>\n

\u2022 Sapphire Blue<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 apothecary bottles<\/p>\n

\u2022 Jade Green<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Depression-era tableware or ornamental lampshades<\/p>\n

\u2022 Purple<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 art glass or apothecary bottles<\/p>\n

\u2022 Orange<\/strong> \u2013 car turn signals and art glass<\/p>\n

\u2022 Red<\/strong> \u2013 car taillights<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve found at least a few pieces of most colors of sea glass,\u201d said Wilson. \u201cI spend a lot of time trying to research their origins and love the history and discovery.\u201d<\/p>\n

She says the one piece of sea glass she covets that continues to elude her is a jewelry-quality, frosted true orange piece of sea glass.<\/p>\n

\u201c[Orange] is considered the rarest sea glass find,\u201d said Wilson. \u201cThis is usually from old art glass or limited dishware and bottles. These are tremendously rare. I have a few small pieces that aren\u2019t as frosted as what I use for jewelry so, to find a jewelry-quality piece would be fantastic!\u201d<\/p>\n

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Bezel set sea glass bracelet with a silver backplate.
Courtesy Susan Wilson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Creating New Treasures<\/h2>\n

Finding nice specimens of sea glass is only the beginning. Wilson and many other sea glass collectors have turned their love of sea glass into dazzling pieces of art and stunning jewelry pieces.<\/p>\n

\u201cI learned to silversmith when I was a teenager during summers on Cape Cod at the Artist Guild in Falmouth, Massachusetts,\u201d she said. \u201cIt was there that I began to set unusual objects I found like wood and natural stone. It wasn\u2019t until I had amassed a huge collection of sea glass in my adult years that I decided to get back into silver jewelry making.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wilson finds sea glass to be a natural fit for jewelry.<\/p>\n

\u201cI quickly discovered that sea glass was a natural match for setting in silver. The light reflects back from the silver through the sea glass when set with a silver backing and shines through the sea glass when drilled for pendants and bracelets providing a colorful glow. I also discovered I could use a lapidary technique with diamond drill bits to drill holes in sea glass.\u201d<\/p>\n

A Sea Glass Business<\/h2>\n

For Wilson, sea glass has become her full-time business.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese fortuitous discoveries allowed me to leave my job in Boston and create my sea glass jewelry business. I soon discovered there were thousands of people out there that loved sea glass and were drawn to these elusive treasures set in silver and gold.\u201d<\/p>\n

Who knew bottles, jars and other trash made of glass left behind from indiscriminate dumping on ocean shores decades ago would become coveted items to beachcombers and collectors around the world? Low tide is generally the best time to search for sea glass on most beaches.<\/p>\n

Looking for sea glass is like a treasure hunt. You never know what you\u2019ll find. However, always confirm whether it\u2019s legal to remove sea glass from the source with local authorities. Happy hunting!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n

Top Glass Beach Destinations<\/h2>\n

Talk to avid sea glass collectors or simply do a little online research and you\u2019ll find beaches noted for being some of the best for hunting sea glass.<\/p>\n

Here are some top picks from around the world.<\/p>\n

Glass Beach, MacKerricher State Park Fort Bragg, California<\/p>\n

Seaham Hall Beach Seaham, England<\/p>\n

Simmons Island Beach Kenosha, Wisconsin<\/p>\n

Kauai Sea Glass Beach Kauai, Hawaii<\/p>\n

Glass Beach Port Townsend, Washington<\/p>\n

Summerland Beach Santa Barbara, California<\/p>\n

Sea Glass Beach Okinawa Island, Japan<\/p>\n

Grant Park Beach South Milwaukee, Wisconsin<\/p>\n

Mornington Back Beaches Melbourne, Australia<\/p>\n

Souris Beach Prince Edward Island, Canada<\/p>\n

Sea Glass Points of Interest<\/h2>\n

The International Sea Glass Museum www.internationalseaglassmuseum.com<\/a><\/p>\n

North American Sea Glass Association seaglassassociation.org<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

This story about sea glass previously appeared in Rock & Gem magazine. Click here to subscribe.<\/a> Story by Moira McGhee.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sea glass hunting is like a treasure hunt. With pail in hand and the ocean waves softly undulating and dousing the sand, beachcombers, including fossil hunters in Florida, scour the shores for various curiosities like shark teeth and sea glass. Seashells, fossils, driftwood, and other natural artifacts are commonly sought treasures, but some searchers seek […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2974217,"featured_media":21009,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2076,1854],"tags":[2136],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rockngem.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21001"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rockngem.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rockngem.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rockngem.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2974217"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rockngem.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21001"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.rockngem.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21001\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21090,"href":"https:\/\/www.rockngem.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21001\/revisions\/21090"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rockngem.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21009"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rockngem.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21001"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rockngem.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21001"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rockngem.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21001"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}