Sea glass is glass, often from old bottles, jars and tableware, that ended up in the ocean and was broken, tumbled and slowly frosted by waves, sand and rocks over many years.

How can you tell if sea glass is genuine?

Genuine sea glass has a soft, often uneven frost, rounded edges, and small pits or crescent-shaped marks from tumbling. Artificially frosted glass usually looks very uniform, with an even, chalky or waxy finish and identical shapes.

How do I care for sea glass jewelry?

Wipe it gently, keep it out of ultrasonic cleaners, use a polishing cloth on the metal, and a tiny bit of baby oil or coconut oil on a cloth will bring out the glass's shine.

A guide to genuine sea glass

What sea glass is, why some colors are rare, how to spot artificial "sea glass", and how to care for sea glass jewelry.

What is sea glass?

Sea glass starts life as ordinary glass: bottles, jars, dishes and other everyday objects. When broken glass ends up in the ocean, waves roll it against sand and rock for years, often decades. The sharp edges wear smooth and round, and the surface slowly turns from glossy to a soft, frosted finish as it is worn down by abrasion and weathered by seawater.

Glass that has been tumbled in lakes rather than the sea is often called beach glass. Either way, the result is something no machine can quite copy: every piece has its own shape, thickness and texture.

Colors and rarity

The color of sea glass comes from the original glass. Clear, brown (amber) and kelly green are generally the most common, because so many bottles were made in those colors. Softer shades like seafoam, and deeper blues like cornflower and cobalt, turn up less often. How rare a color is also depends on the beach and what was used and discarded nearby.

Light lavender sea glass (like the light lavender California sea glass necklace) is a special case. Most of it began as clear glass made with manganese, which slowly turns purple after decades of exposure to ultraviolet sunlight. That is why it is sometimes called "sun purple" glass.

Genuine sea glass vs. artificial "sea glass"

Because genuine sea glass takes years to form and has to be found by hand, imitations are common. Artificial pieces are usually new glass that has been machine-tumbled or acid-etched to look frosted. A few things to look for:

Surface: genuine sea glass usually has a soft frost that can be uneven, often with tiny pits or small crescent-shaped marks from tumbling against rocks. Artificial glass tends to look evenly matte all over, sometimes with a chalky, sugary or waxy feel.
Shape and thickness: real pieces vary in thickness and curve, and you can often tell they came from a bottle or jar. Imitation pieces are frequently flat, uniform and very similar to one another.
Color: large lots of bright, uniform or unusual colors (especially rare colors at low prices) are a common sign of manufactured glass.
The seller: a trustworthy maker will tell you plainly whether they use genuine sea glass.

Armada Sea Glass uses only genuine, ocean-tumbled sea glass. Minor imperfections and inconsistencies are expected; they are the mark of the real thing and what makes each piece one-of-a-kind.

Caring for sea glass jewelry

Wear your jewelry with care to protect the metal.
Use a sterling silver or gold polishing cloth to bring back the luster of the chain and findings.
Do not use ultrasonic jewelry cleaners on sea glass jewelry.
To make the sea glass look more like it does fresh out of the water, polish it gently with a little baby oil or coconut oil on a washcloth, wipe off any excess and let it dry.

Shop genuine sea glass jewelry

Explore sea glass necklaces, sea glass earrings, or ask about custom jewelry made from your own sea glass.