August 1, 2009 - Collecting Sea Glass

Post date: Aug 13, 2009 3:12:43 PM

We collected sea glass today. Here is a little scene of our beach treasures.

Collecting Sea Glass

Sea glass is a wonderful treasure to find on the beach. It seems fitting to find it there, because the main ingredient of glass is sand. The acidity and tumbling action of the sea polishes and frosts the glass. It takes 20-30 years for the ocean waves to smooth the rough edges.

The most common colors of sea glass are white, brown, and green (clear glass frosts to white in the ocean). Less common colors are pink, purple, and cobalt blue. Rare colors are cornflower blue, yellow, and orange. The very rarest color of all is red, because in the past it was made with gold. Sometimes white glass will have a faint lavender tint. If so, it means the glass was tinted by the ultraviolet rays of the sun, and may be over 100 years old. Milk glass gets its color from the addition of tin or zinc compounds when it was made. Flashed glass was made from successively dipped layers of colored glass.

The best time to look for sea glass is after a storm, especially during the extra low tides of December and January. Notice on the beach where little shells and stones wash in and collect – sea glass may be there too. Another good place to look is near a jetty or rock jutting out into the water. Whatever treasures you may find, it is always a joy to spend time at the beach.