How Is Sea Glass Made?

Significance

• Sea glass begins as normal shards of broken glass that are then persistently tumbled and ground until the sharp edges are smoothed and rounded. In this process, the glass loses its slick surface but gains a frosted appearance.

Types

• There are two methods of making sea glass. The first type of sea glass production is natural. Pieces of glass from broken bottles, broken tableware or even shipwrecks are rolled and tumbled in the ocean or lakes for years until all of their edges are rounded off and the slickness of the glass has been worn to a frosted appearance.

  Sea glass also can be produced artificially, when pieces of glass are tossed into a rock tumbler or dipped in acid to produce the desired finish. Artificially-produced sea glass is much less expensive than natural sea glass.

Identification

• In most cases, identifying the method by which a piece of sea glass was made is straightforward. Natural sea glass is more expensive than artificial sea glass, and it is almost never sold in bulk. Artificial sea glass tends to have a more satiny, uniform texture than natural sea glass, while natural glass is often triangular in shape due to irregular wear.

Colors

• When sea glass is being produced, it goes from being transparent to translucent. As a result, the bright color of the glass will dull, but the color still will be evident. Sea glass is most commonly found in green, brown and clear, while red, yellow, cobalt blue, purple, orange and black are significantly rarer.

Warning

• Due to the acid that is often used in the production of artificial sea glass, the glass itself may contain traces of toxic materials. Many manufacturers have warning labels on their sea glass saying that it should not be used in aquariums for this reason.