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Faizan
Down through the centuries, people have crafted glass from the same materials--sand, soda and lime. Seaglunkers--collectors of sea glass--search tirelessly for pieces of glass abraded over time. Sea glass gets its patina from high pH levels and carbon dioxide in water that aids in the destruction of the glass shards. Determining the source of an individual piece of sea glass is an art learned with time and experience. Sea glass is a diminishing commodity, making it more sought after than ever before.
Bottles and Containers
The origin of most sea glass is broken bottles from fruit and food jars, medicine bottles, ink bottles, spirit bottles and soda bottles. Black glass was produced to hold liquids that needed protection from sunlight. The glass was actually very dark green or dark amber in color. Most black glass was manufactured before 1900, so finding a piece is rare. Sea foam color sea glass is often from Coke bottles--produced for 60 years beginning in 1915. You can find this type of sea glass at beach resorts that were popular in the early to mid-1900s. There are rare bulb-shaped forms of sea glass that are typically produced from thick chunks of historic bottle glass. Made from even thicker glass, a “kick up” or center from the bottom of a bottle may become a bulb-shaped piece of sea glass. Often these pieces are dark green or dark brown. Sea glass collectors covet these pieces.
Tableware and Utility Glass
The more rare form of sea glass comes from tableware. People discarded tableware and utility glass in privy pits or town dumps and, if these sites were near the shore, they became ideal sites for sea glass. Artisans made carnival glass by exposing glass to heated metallic vapors that create a rainbow effect on the surface of the glass. Milk glass is opaque white and originated in Venice during the 1500s. It was popular in the United States from the late 1800s until the 1950s. Slag glass is a mixture of white milk glass and green, blue or purple glass that is swirled in pattern. A neon piece of yellow sea glass is most likely made from "Vaseline glass" which was produced by using 2 percent uranium dioxide.
Flat Glass, Marbles, Insulators and Bonfire Glass
Flat glass comes from windows, mirrors and automobile glass. Marbles may abrade to their inner layers which reveals more of the original marble than ever. Insulators helped carry telegraph messages across miles of wire without losing current. Insulator sea glass may be light blue, aqua, clear, light green to dark green, amber and sun-colored purple. Bonfire glass is molten, free-form glass shards that often have specks of ash and sand. Beach bonfires, building fires and controlled landfill burns may all produce bonfire glass.
Bottles and Containers
The origin of most sea glass is broken bottles from fruit and food jars, medicine bottles, ink bottles, spirit bottles and soda bottles. Black glass was produced to hold liquids that needed protection from sunlight. The glass was actually very dark green or dark amber in color. Most black glass was manufactured before 1900, so finding a piece is rare. Sea foam color sea glass is often from Coke bottles--produced for 60 years beginning in 1915. You can find this type of sea glass at beach resorts that were popular in the early to mid-1900s. There are rare bulb-shaped forms of sea glass that are typically produced from thick chunks of historic bottle glass. Made from even thicker glass, a “kick up” or center from the bottom of a bottle may become a bulb-shaped piece of sea glass. Often these pieces are dark green or dark brown. Sea glass collectors covet these pieces.
Tableware and Utility Glass
The more rare form of sea glass comes from tableware. People discarded tableware and utility glass in privy pits or town dumps and, if these sites were near the shore, they became ideal sites for sea glass. Artisans made carnival glass by exposing glass to heated metallic vapors that create a rainbow effect on the surface of the glass. Milk glass is opaque white and originated in Venice during the 1500s. It was popular in the United States from the late 1800s until the 1950s. Slag glass is a mixture of white milk glass and green, blue or purple glass that is swirled in pattern. A neon piece of yellow sea glass is most likely made from "Vaseline glass" which was produced by using 2 percent uranium dioxide.
Flat Glass, Marbles, Insulators and Bonfire Glass
Flat glass comes from windows, mirrors and automobile glass. Marbles may abrade to their inner layers which reveals more of the original marble than ever. Insulators helped carry telegraph messages across miles of wire without losing current. Insulator sea glass may be light blue, aqua, clear, light green to dark green, amber and sun-colored purple. Bonfire glass is molten, free-form glass shards that often have specks of ash and sand. Beach bonfires, building fires and controlled landfill burns may all produce bonfire glass.
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