The Value of Sea Glass

Jewelry Grades A, B, and Other

• Sea glass that is graded Jewelry A is frosted consistently and has no chips in the frosting. All corners are rounded and not sharp. Jewelry B–graded sea glass is similar to Jewelry A but may have some defects or chips. The grade Other is the lowest grade of jewelry sea glass. Glass in this category is likely to have more than one of the defects present in grade Jewelry B sea glass.

Craft Grades A and B

• While generally frosted, Craft A and Craft B grades aren't uniform enough for jewelry. Craft grades are likely to have defects such as cracks, rough edges, uneven frosting and irregular shapes.

Common Colors

• The value of your sea glass depends a lot on its color. More common colors include brown, white, green, and blue. Common colors aren't as valuable as rare colors.

Rare Colors

• Sea glass that is red, pink or orange is extremely rare because its sources are no longer available. Red, pink or orange commercial glass was originally made with gold as an additive and is no longer made. Because of their scarcity, these colors are valuable.

Frost and Thickness

• Frosting occurs as ocean salt and sediments polish sea glass. The ocean acts as a natural rock tumbler, and frosting is directly proportional to the amount of time a piece spends in the ocean. Frosting increases a piece's value, and the larger and thicker a piece of heavily frosted glass is, the more valuable it is.