I often look for unique sea shells when I’m on vacation, but natural or genuine Sea Glass is like winning a treasure hunt!
Sea Glass comes from broken glassware that are tumbled and grounded against the sandy sea floor and can take anywhere from 20-50 years before it reaches it characteristic weathering of frosted coloration and rounded edges. There are rumors that people use to refer to them as “Mermaid Tears”, morning drowned sailors. Sea Glass has become so widely used as “gems of the sea” that they actually have a rating, as well as some colors are rarer than others.
The best time to look for sea glass is during low tide after a storm. That is how I found the majority of the sea glass below. Most of it came from a beach in Montezuma, Costa Rica after a storm, while I have found smaller sea glass on beaches in St. John, USVI.
It is however, becoming increasingly harder to find Sea Glass. This is partly because more people are on the hunt, as well as the fact that glass is less commonly used around water in favor for plastic, so there isn’t as much “raw material” going into the ocean (and that is a good thing.) People are also more mindful of the environment and are recycling more.
If you are looking for Sea Glass to use in crafts or decoration beware of artificially produced sea glass that was put in a rock tumbler and finished in acid to get a “frosted” look. Real Sea Glass has more surface texture and pitting, these “pores” are often “c” shaped, and not just a whole.
Souvenir Saturday is an every-other week series on the items that represent travel memories.
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