How to Find Beach Glass

Identify the areas of your beach where beach glass is most likely to come ashore. Odyssey Sea Glass recommends finding a beach that is close to highly populated areas or areas that have been highly populated in the past and that features at least 1- to 2-foot' waves. One of the best places to find beach glass, Odyssey Sea Glass states, is anywhere close to a garbage dump because broken glass of all kinds are thrown away, get tumbled by the waves and then returned to the beach as sea glass. Another feature to look for is a steep shoreline. Ideal beaches are those located close to cliffs or bluffs overlooking the water, those close to major waterways such as shipping channels or the gravelly areas around river mouths.

Carefully choose the best time to go hunting. The folks at Genuine Beach Glass find their sea glass on the shores of the Great Lakes. They recommend hunting early in the morning before the other glass hunters have arrived. Although it is easier to find glass that is sparkling in the sunshine, they still recommend searching when the sun is low in the sky. This is because the light rays will hit the beach glass from the side, causing it to glow from within even if the surfaces are too etched to sparkle. Pay attention to temperatures because even if you are willing to brave the cold, the glass might be frozen in place.

Train yourself to recognize sea glass from other features of the beach landscape. Beach glass comes in as many colors as glass containers are made. Ocean Sage lists the most common colors to the least common as white, brown, green, blue, yellow, lavender, pink, gray, purple and red. Watch for items on the beach that are a different shape from the normal shells or rocks, anything that has writing or a pattern stamped into it and the inner glow that can be caused by the sun's rays. Always watch the beach on the way back to your car as well, since wave action could have brought new pieces over the areas you've already searched.