Collecting Sea Glass
BY: ANITA C. WRIGHT
GROUP FOR THE EAST END ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
Beach glass, sea glass
With the exception of a few collages I’ve made from my collection of sea glass, the vast majority of it is held in jars and ceramic bowls scattered around my house. Quite often I will find a few forgotten pieces in the pocket of my jeans or my coat, and even at the bottom of the clothes dryer. Strolling beaches and looking for colorful, shimmering sea glass, pieces of painted ceramic tiles and delicate, intact seashells is one of my favorite pastimes.
Although the terms sea glass and beach glass are often used interchangeably, there is a distinction between the two. The source of sea glass and beach glass is essentially the same: glass that’s been discarded into bodies of water, broken up, tumbled around and eventually washed to shore, smooth and weathered. Sea glass is conditioned in the salty ocean where it undergoes a chemical process called hydration, often creating a frosty and pitted surface. Beach glass forms in large bodies of freshwater where it’s tumbled by the waves and sand (as in the ocean), but washes up smooth and less frosty or pitted. I have never collected beach glass from the shores of a freshwater lake, but I’m curious to see, side by side, how they compare.
If you’re interested in learning more about the sea glass you collect, I highly recommend acquiring the Pure Sea Glass Identification Deck, by Richard LaMotte. This handy deck of cards has helped me figure out the color, rarity, and possible age and origin of the pieces I’ve saved.
The majority of my collection consists of Kelly green, brown, white and clear pieces, which are the most common finds and usually originate from beverage bottles and windowpanes. Harder to come by colors include citron (olive oil bottles), lime green (soda bottles), jade (mineral water and wine bottles), amber, (whiskey and beer bottles), and pink (tableware). My most prized pieces include a purple bottle top, (pictured below) a thick triangular piece of gray, and the elusive red nugget, (finding ratio 1:5,000), which may have come from discarded warning lights, tableware or stained glass.
Purple beach glass
It’s not lost on me that sea glass, pretty as it may be, is essentially trash and a grim reminder that humans have been using our oceans as dumping grounds for decades. So why not turn your sea glass search into a beach clean up too? Happy collecting!