Beach glass is one of those rare things that seems to attract just about everyone. From the avid collector, to the annual visitor, young and old alike will walk the beach, and look to see what the tide has brought in this time. Perhaps a piece of polished green, or a bright cobalt blue. Beach glass, (also called Sea Glass, Mermaids Tears and Lucky Tears) comes from discarded bottles, glassware, household items, and tableware. Sometimes the glass will be distinguishable as to its origin, and you can recognize a bottle neck, bottom or even lettering. As people become more environmentally aware, and as recycling is becoming more popular, beach glass is becoming more, and more, rare. It can take several years for a rough piece of broken bottle to be transformed into that smooth, and almost soft, piece of beach glass. In addition to the natural tumbling, and polishing that the glass receives in the surf, or tide, it also needs the salt water. Through a process called Hydration, lime and soda are leached out of the glass by the salt water, creating pits on the surface of the glass. The higher the PH in the water, the faster the pitting will occur. Sometimes, the soda and lime will combine with other elements, and small crystals will form on the glass, making for a very rare and collectible find! As Hydration is a natural process, and one that takes nature several years to complete, it cannot be re-created in a glass tumbler. Some retailers who sell craft glass try to duplicate the look of beach glass with acid baths, and tumbling. This process will produce glass that is etched in a satiny and uniform appearance, instead the random pitting found on real beach glass.
Outer Banks Sea Glass Points System
| Type of |
Rarity |
Value |
Possible Origins |
| Blue Glass |
Rare |
3 pts |
Medicine and wine bottles |
| Green Glass |
Uncommon |
2 pts |
Imported Beer bottles |
| Red Glass |
Rare |
3 pts |
Kitchen glass |
| White Glass |
Common |
1 pt |
Jars, kitchen and product glass |
| Brown Glass |
Common |
1 pt |
Domestic beer bottles |
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| Coins |
Uncommon |
1 pt |
Blackbeards treasure |
| Shells |
Common |
1 pt |
Shell must be whole |
| Fishing Lure |
Common |
1 pt |
Remove the hazard |
Glass pieces must be smooth with no cut or broken edges to qualify for points.
Most people only associate beach glass with the ocean, however, some of the best specimens are found in tidal areas like sounds, bays, and even on river banks. The Chesapeake Bay is a great place to find glass, and is home to Richard LaMotte, founder of the National Sea Glass Assoc and author of “Pure Sea Glass”. As the Chesapeake Bay has been a major shipping channel for centuries, and as it runs through some major cities and industrial areas, there is a large amount of beach glass on its banks. As proof, Richard, and his wife have over 30,000 pieces of glass in their collection, many of which came from the banks of the Bay. Another place known for its glass is located in Northern CA, and appro priately named Sea Glass Beach. From the early 20th century, until the late 60’s it served as the trash dump for the area. Periodic burning would reduce the amount of bulk trash, and finally, in 1967 the North Coast Water Quality Board prevented any future dumping there. Time and the rough Northern CA surf made this area a Mecca for collectors, until the beach was incorporated into the CA Parks and Rec Dept as part of Merkerricher State Park. You can still go and see the beach, which is sometimes said the be blanketed in glass, but no glass may be removed from the park. There are also glass festivals all over the country where collectors, jewelry makers, and other artists display, and sell their treasures. Beach glass jewelry is very popular, and not just at the sea side shops, as some famous designers also are now using it in their pieces. The white (what used to be clear), brown, and green glass is the most commonly found, but occasionally a rare color will wash in. The more rare, and valuable colors are the red and orange, deep cobalt blue, purple, turquoise, and black. Some of these rare colors come from antique bottles, and to a collector or an artist, they will have additional value due to their rarity. Most people though just look for beach glass for fun, and finding a few pieces on a morning walk is just a bonus to a beautiful sunrise. So get out at low tide, bring your beach bucket, and see what you can find!
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