Sea glass are pieces of glass from broken bottles, tableware, or even shipwrecks which have tumbled and rolled around in the ocean for years until smooth and round, and the slickness of the glass has changed to a frosted appearance.
Heart-shape sea glass 🙂
Sea glass is NOT beach glass, and that’s a distinction many are not aware of. Sea glass is from the ocean and has tumbled against sand, rocks, coral etc. The best pieces of sea glass have been in the ocean for decades or even centuries, leaving them more frosted and smooth than their younger counterparts.
Beach glass, on the other hand, is artificially produced. While it looks similar to sea glass, there are some clear distinctions in color and frostiness. When I say that it has been artificially produced, its made from broken pieces of glass that are placed in a rock tumbler or put into acid. Beach glass is often used for jewelry and people try to pass it off as sea glass, so be sure to know what you’re getting whenever making a purchase.
If you want more information on distinguishing the two, then check out http://s101385769.onlinehome.us/SeaGlassAssociation.org/GenuineVsArtificial.php.
A delicate anklet I made using small pieces of sea glass.
This year I started making jewelry and incorporating shells and sea glass that I would find along the beaches of Oahu. Every day after work I would roam the beaches, seaching for the day’s special find. These tiny treasures come in all different shapes and sizes, with the most common being green, brown and white. So I always tried to end the day on a high note, collecting a “gem” (which for me was one special piece of blue, purple, or even red-the rarest of the rare which I have found on occasion).
A typical day of collecting…
A happy day filled with a lot of favorites
I have been working on my jewelry more, using sea glass I find and drill myself. I like to work with small pieces, but those are the most time-consuming to drill and they shatter easily. But regardless of the difficulty, I love it. It is a very rewarding process to be able to create a wearable piece from the sea. That’s why I named my jewelry line Wailani Jewelry. It means heavenly waters, and these gifts are from these incredible waters that we are surrounded with.
A necklace I made recently
That’s all for today, but thanks for stopping by! If you have any sea glass stories or tips, please feel free to reply in the comments section. Until next time, aloha!
Peace, love & shells,
Jessica
Wailani Jewelry 
Cool, I didn’t realize there was a difference between beach and sea glass. I’ve always used the terms interchangeably. Good to know! 😉