I love to spread the word about other ocean inspired artists and when I saw this story about Gwen Nichols of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, I just had to share it with you! Ms. Nichols makes the glass mosaics pictured here, originally designed with her own sea glass collection. When she ran out of sea glass she returned to her first love, wampum, which is now her artistic medium. Read about her incredible wampum jewelry here! Gwen Nichols, born and raised on the Island, was exposed to … [Read more...]
Archives for 2016
Sea Glass Hunting Brings Solace
If you love to walk the beach, as so many of us do, I know you'll enjoy this powerful story about the zen of beach combing and how it molded one man's life in ways he never imagined. Written by Peter Messerschmidt, the tale is one of discovery, self preservation and peace. Peter's story explains why we are comforted by "walking the beach" and the reasons we develop a deep, personal connection with nature as we poke along, listening to shore birds, picking up sea glass, pretty rocks and … [Read more...]
Sea Glass Jeweler Named Home Based Small Business of the Year
Her love of the sea and of beach combing led to a second career for Tiverton resident Jane McHenry. In May, the US Small Business Administration honored Ms. McHenry and her venture, A Day at the Beach Sea Glass Jewelry, as the 2016 Rhode Island Home-Based Small Business of the Year. Here’s what the presenters had to say about the winner … Jane McHenry, owner and chief designer of A Day at the Beach Sea Glass Jewelry, began her career in advertising and publishing (much of it with East Bay … [Read more...]
Curious About Cape May Diamonds?
No trip to the beautiful resort town of Cape May, New Jersey is complete without a visit to its famous Sunset Beach to look for Cape May diamonds. To learn more, I suggest you read Ellie Mercer's well researched story about the origins and mysteries of these "diamonds of the sea," originally published as a blog post by the North American Sea Glass Association. Visitors to Sunset Beach on the Delaware Bay, in West Cape May, New Jersey, have delighted in collecting Cape May Diamonds for many … [Read more...]
7 Ways to Care For Sea Glass Jewelry
Show It Off: Wear your sterling silver sea glass jewelry often. The natural oils your body produces actually slow the oxidation process that causes the sterling silver to tarnish. Wash It: Clean your jewelry occasionally with a brief soak in mild liquid detergent and water. You can use a soft toothbrush to gently scrub the sea glass. Thoroughly dry your jewelry with a clean soft cotton cloth. Store It Properly: Store your sea glass jewelry in a closed jewelry box or in a bureau drawer away … [Read more...]
Your Sea Glass Festival Guide
SEPTEMBER, 2016 UPDATE! Found yet another sea glass festival to add, this one in Long Beach Island, NJ, October 1 & 2. See our guide below. UPDATE! Just discovered three more summer sea glass festivals, one in Rhode Island at Misquamicut Beach, one in Point Pleasant Beach on the Jersey Shore and one in Ashtabula, Ohio! I've added these to the list below. The second half of the 2016 sea glass festival season in full swing! There are, at this count, at least nine festivals this summer … [Read more...]
Pink – The Darling of the Sea Glass World
I’ll not soon forget the day I spotted my first pink sea glass gem. Walking toward the sea glass beach early in the morning, I was hoping to be the first one to find what the evening's tide left at the high water mark. Praying not to see footprints of an earlier riser, I scanned the beach from across the street as I drew closer. Then I saw it, a pink sea glass chunk, larger than a half dollar, resting there on the now drying sand. Hastily surveying the area looking for interlopers and … [Read more...]
What Is The Most Alluring Sea Glass Color?
Ask a seasoned sea glass collector his or her opinion about which sea glass color is the most alluring, and there is a good chance that the answer will be aqua. A lot of buzz surrounds the discovery of a few “holy grail” sea glass colors like red, orange and turquoise, but when it comes to natural beauty and allure, aqua tops the charts. What is the Meaning of Aqua Sea Glass? The term, aqua, has two dictionary definitions: one is “water” and the other is “a light greenish-blue color.” The … [Read more...]