Sea Glass Art

What is it about walking along the shore that brings such peace to so many? The sound of the waves, the smell of wet sand and water, the feel of the breeze engage the senses to stir the core of our soul. Beach glass, also known as sea glass or mermaid's tears, crystallizes these shoreline memories. Formed by the action of water, wind, wave action, sand, stone and time on bottles and other glass carelessly tossed into lakes and oceans, collectors all over the world treasure these brightly colored finds.

Ranging in size from flecks as tiny as a grain of sand to chunks larger than a fist, beach glass can be found along the water's edge around the world. The most common color of sea glass is white, which began as clear glass. Physical and chemical actions frost the surface of the glass, turning it opaque. Other common colors include green and brown from beer and wine bottles, but their hues can vary from pale amber to an olive so green it appears black until held up to the light.

Some collectors prefer to keep their finds in jars placed on windowsills to catch the light. Others creatively experiment with art and design to make Sea Glass Art, creating everything from sun catchers to bird houses. And some carefully choose the rarest shapes and colors to transform into one-of-a-kind jewelry. The soft edges and deep colors of Sea Glass Art create eye-catching pools of liquid color at the ears, throat or wrist. Whether set in filigrees of silver and gold or simply suspended from a bail, sea glass jewelry is wearable art.

Sea glass fragments are found all over the world and come in the most amazing rainbow of colors. It is usually found along the beach after a high tide and storms. Many beachcombers collect these pieces and simply display them at home in a jar or bowl right next to seashells.

Sea glass is the product of man-made debris tumbled on the ocean or lake beaches for years, eventually washing up on beaches all over the world. Before plastics and aluminum came into common use things were much more often packaged in glass. Sea glass hunters are having a harder time finding their treasures in these modern times. As a result of its growing rarity, many people have begun manufacturing their own sea glass in rock tumbling machines.

Types of Sea Glass

Vaseline Glass: Vaseline glass is made with Uranium and will glow under a black light, and so it is also known as UV Glass.

Flashed Glass/ Flash Glass: This is glass that has multiple layers of colors which are clearly visible. Usually this sea glass comes from decorative glass vases, bowls, etc.

Cobalt Blue: Cobalt Blue glass is almost always from one of 3 types of bottles: Emerson's Bromo Seltzer, Milk of Magnesia and Poison Bottles.

Red: Originally real gold was used to make red colored glass which means less of it was made to begin with and thus increases the rarity of finding red sea glass.

Sun Glass: Lavender sea glass that started off as clear glass, but then turned lavender or, in rare cases, purple when left out in the sun. This is due to glass made with the mineral Manganese added which purples in reaction to sunlight.