Information about Seaglass

What is sea glass?

Over the centuries, people have continued to discard items no longer needed into the waterways. The ocean accepts these glass items, breaks them into pieces of various sizes and continues to smooth the sharp edges by tossing and rolling them into the sand and against the rocks and seaweed.

After much time, these pieces are tossed up on coastal beaches to be collected and admired and reused. For more information on sea glass see Richard LaMott’s Pure Sea Glass.


How do you care for Sea Glass jewelry?
  • Do not drop the jewelry on a hard surface, it’s glass so it will break.
  • Clean the glass surface with a mild dish soap and a tooth brush.
  • Shiny silver can be cleaned with a polishing cloth.
  • Do not use the polishing cloth on the glass.
  • Matte silver can be cleaned with a paper towel misted with glass cleaner.
  • Apply perfume and harispray prior to your jewelry.


    • What was it before it became sea glass?

    Extremely Rare Colors
    Orange
  • Tableware from the 1900s


    • Red
  • Victorian lamps, Depression glass
  • old Schlitz, Old Milwaukee or National beer bottles

    • Turquoise
  • Tableware, antique flasks or art glass


    • Yellow
  • Tableware, ornamental Depression glass
  • Some soft, pastel yellow color is the result of prolonged exposure to sunlight.


    • Black
  • Tableware or flasks dating back to the mid to late 1800s.


    • Teal
  • Baking soda bottles, mineral water bottlesor ink bottles produced before the early 1900s.


    • Rare Colors
    Pink
  • Depression era tableware or sun colored glass dating from before the 1930s.


    • Aqua
  • Ball Mason Jar, mineral water, soda or beer bottle.


    • Cornflower Blue
  • Milk of Magnesia jars


    • Cobalt Blue
  • Old medicine or poison jars, Vicks Vapor Rub, Bromo-Seltzer and Milk of Magnesia products.


    • Opaque White
  • Milk jars or Ball jar lids made between 1910 and 1936.


    • Citron
  • Fruit jars, wine bottles snuff jars
  • Antique barber bottles or ink bottles.

    • Purple/Amethyst/Lavender
  • Glass produced by The Boston and Sandwich Glass Company from the 1800s.
  • During the world war, glassmakers changed the formula of clear glass from magnesium (because Germany was the primary supplier) to selenium. When this glass is exposed to ultraviolet rays the glass changes to a soft purple or lavender color.


    • Uncommon Colors
    Sea Foam
  • Coca Cola bottles, ink jars, fruit jars, baking soda and other soft drink bottles.


    • Soft Blue
  • Soda bottles, fruit jars, medicine and ink bottles or flat glass could be from a windshield


    • Forest Green
  • Wine, beer, gin or flasks.


    • Lime Green
  • Tableware, soda or beer bottles
  • Depression glass tableware.


    • Yellow-Amber
  • Medicine bottles or small bottles,
  • Clorox bottles prior to 1930


    • Amber
  • Whiskey, bitters, snuff and a few poison bottles from the late 1900s and some Clorox bottles.
  • Jade-flasks, soda & mineral bottles


    • Common Colors
    Green
  • Beer, wine & soda bottles

    • Brown
  • Beer, liquor & wine bottles


    • White
  • Common clear glass