For those of you that don’t know what sea glass is but are interested, read on……
Sea glass are the gems of the sea. It’s glass made by humans which has found its way into the sea, then the sea has turned it into beautiful gems for us to wear (when we get our hand on nature we don’t look after it but when nature gets its hand on this manmade item it turns it into a thing of beauty). The glass gets broken by rocks, tossed with the waves and undergoes chemical changes which help give the frosted look. You will find various sizes, shapes and colours. Some colours are considered rare as the glassware is no longer in production such as yellow and dark cobalt blue etc. The more common colours are greens, browns and clear this is because these are still being made today for items such as beer bottles etc. Sea glass in general is becoming more unusual to find because in recent years plastic has been used instead of glass, this along with the recycling of glass has helped keep glass out of our oceans but has increased plastic instead (blog for another day).
So now that you’re interested in finding these gems, here is my top tip for where you find them…
From my experience I have found the best place to find sea glass in in a pebbly beach. There is one close to our house and it never disappoints, anytime we go we always find loads. Sea glass comes in different shapes and sizes but mostly you are looking for pieces that are well rounded (no sharp edges) and smooth to touch. It can take at up to 10 years for this and some pieces you find will have been floating around for maybe a hundred years or so. Getting pieces to use in jewellery can be harder to find but keep looking, don’t give up!
If you are struggling to see sea glass move the pebbles about a bit, see what is underneath (always try and put the pebbles back in place) there may be some treasure.
My top tip for when to go …..
I like to go just after a storm, you find lots of treasures along the beach then, not just sea glass, unfortunately you will find lots of rubbish too so you might want to bring your litter picker and a bag for rubbish. You will also need something to collect your sea glass in. I have a mesh bag which has very small holes so the sand can fall through but not the sea glass.
My last tip……
Have fun, enjoy it. I go with the kids and it really is a contest to see who can find the rarest piece, at the start of our sea glass hunting journey it used to be me but I don’t think I’ve won in a long time.
What to do with your sea glass….
Well there is lots of arts and crafts for you to try, pinterest has a huge amount of suggestions so why not take a look. Of course, I like to set mine into jewellery so it can be worn and I can feel close to the sea every day. If you would like to do the same then why not come to one of my sea glass jewellery classes here in Belfast. If you don’t want to give it ago yourself but would still like it set into jewellery then please do get in contact and let’s see if we can come up with a design together, it would be a shame to let your sea glass sit in a jar!
If you have any additional tips please leave them in the comments below.
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Until next time, stay safe, keep communicating and always sparkle!
Katrina xx