Sea Glass Jewellery

As you walk along a beach, you often spot the odd abandoned bucket and spade, sandwich wrapper or ice lolly stick. Relics left over by visitors who were there for a moment, but left more than their footprints. Amongst the littered shingle, a keen eye will observe a different kind of remnant. A blue or green misshapen jewel hiding in the sand. Debris from broken and unwanted objects which over time has evolved into something to be treasured. Sea glass.

A popular beach find, sea glass is often collected by visitors to the seashore as a souvenir of holidays and days out. But it’s also sought for other purposes, as it’s becoming an increasingly popular feature in art and jewellery. With many sea glass jewellery pieces designed with a nod to their origins, these too are becoming a cherished keepsake of special moments and places.

Sea glass isn’t an overnight sensation. It can take anything from 20 to 100 years for a piece of glass to become smooth and frosted as a result of being naturally ‘surf tumbled’ and polished in sand and rocks under the sea. Of course, there are variations in timescale depending on the environment.

The range of sea glass colours can be heavily influenced by the history of an area. Seaham, situated just south of Sunderland on the Durham coastline, is incredibly rich in sea glass and an array of vibrant colours can be found washed up after a high tide. This is thanks to the Victorian bottle works based there, which closed its doors in 1921 after 68 years. The factory would dispose of waste glass directly into the North Sea, now 100 years later visitors to the waterfront are reaping the rewards.

The beach where I live, Gurnard Bay, may not benefit from such a plentiful supply of coloured sea glass, but a stroll along the shore will usually result in a few pieces of green or white bounty in your pocket. We’ve also found the occasion light blue gem, as well as small pieces of intricate pottery washed up.

Living by the coast, it would be sacrilege not to take advantage of the ‘sea made’ treasures on offer. My youngest son is particularly eagle eyed when it comes to spotting interesting shapes and perfectly finished specimens on his walks, bringing them home for me to then craft into jewellery.

Sea glass has its own unique and mysterious beauty, and its form will dictate how it sits within the finished item. This could be a bespoke pendant, bracelet embellishment, or even an engagement ring. As the sea delivers these timeless charms free of charge to the collector, Woo by Design has also contributed to create a selection of sea glass pendants to help raise money for various Isle of Wight charities.

Source – Beach Combing Magazine

Source – Wikipedia

Source – Beach Lust