"One man's trash is another man's treasure."
I was not able to find any shark teeth or even a huge amount of beautiful shells while I was in Tampa last week, but I did find TONS of sea glass. This was perfectly fine with me. I was in heaven walking up and down the beach picking it up. Before this trip, my collection contained 1 piece of sea glass. Now, I have a couple baggies full! The beach I found it on is Ben T. Davis Beach in Tampa Bay, FL. Many people probably see it all as trash, but to beachcombers and collectors (like me) it is a gold mine. I was shocked to find out many of my friends had never even heard of sea glass, so I decided to share a little information on it.
I was not able to find any shark teeth or even a huge amount of beautiful shells while I was in Tampa last week, but I did find TONS of sea glass. This was perfectly fine with me. I was in heaven walking up and down the beach picking it up. Before this trip, my collection contained 1 piece of sea glass. Now, I have a couple baggies full! The beach I found it on is Ben T. Davis Beach in Tampa Bay, FL. Many people probably see it all as trash, but to beachcombers and collectors (like me) it is a gold mine. I was shocked to find out many of my friends had never even heard of sea glass, so I decided to share a little information on it.
Sea glass is glass or ceramic that is found washed up along oceans, bays, lakes, rivers, etc. The shards have been shaped and sanded down by the waves, water, and sand. They are not shiny and sharp, like newly discarded glass. The sea glass has rounded edges and often appears to be "frosted" instead of shiny. The amount of roundness and frosting to the piece usually depends on how long it has been tumbling in the water. There are pieces that have tumbled for so long that they actually become marbles.
Sea glass comes in a variety of colors, some are more rare than others. This chart shows the rarity of colors with orange being the most rare and white being the most popular.
Very nice pieces of sea glass make excellent stones for jewelry. There is a sea glass association that has conventions for collectors to come together to enjoy, buy, and sell sea glass.
It usually takes patience and a good eye to spot sea glass on the beach. The sun and moon are also helpful in spotting it. The light bounces off of the glass, making it more visible. Bright colors are easier to spot than whites. In this picture you can see the green piece by my feet.
Here are some of the best pieces I found on my trip. They were mostly greens and browns, although I did find a few white and 1 aqua blue.
- Sea Glass Hunter's Handbook
- Pure Sea Glass: Discovering Nature's Vanishing Gems
- A Passion For Sea Glass
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