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Home » Rock Tumbling Tips » Sea glass, beach glass and tumbled glass
Sea Glass, Beach Glass, Tumbled Glass
What's the Difference?
"Sea Glass" and "Beach Glass"
Much of the interest in tumbling glass has been inspired by materials known as "sea
glass" and "beach glass." These are naturally-tumbled glasses that can be
found along ocean beaches, river banks and lake fronts in many parts of the world.
These pieces of glass might have once been part of a glass jar or bottle that was broken along the
beach or dumped in an offshore trash disposal site. Wave or current action then picked up
the glass and tumbled it along the bottom - with sand on the bottom serving as a natural abrasive. Over time that tumbling action rounded the pieces
of glass, smoothed their surfaces and gave them a frosted finish.
Naturally-tumbled glass found at an ocean is called “sea glass.” When it is found along a
lake or a river it is called “beach glass.” The names “sea glass” and “beach glass”
attribute a provenance to the glass and imply a naturally-tumbled material.
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If you process glass in a tumbler it would be incorrect to use the names "sea glass" or "beach glass"
to describe it. Some people think that it would be unethical. These names imply a naturally-tumbled glass and the people who find it are entitled to claim
that romantic provenance. Glass processed in a tumbler should be called "craft glass" or
"tumbled glass." |
Lots of people have made a hobby out of searching for sea glass and beach glass and consider each
piece that they find a treasure. They use attractive pieces of naturally-tumbled glass to
make jewelry or other craft projects.
Sea glass is not easy to find today and it will become even harder to find in the future. It declines in abundance
as plastic containers and recycling reduce the amount of glass that enters the beach environment. Landfills have
also replaced ocean dumping as a disposal method for trash.
The problem with using naturally-tumbled glasses in craft projects is a reliable source of supply.
This is what motivates many people to produce tumbled glass in a rock tumbler. Others are motivated by
the bright gemmy appearance of highly polished glass.
| Photo of sand from a beach on Kauai, Hawaii that contains significant amounts of naturally tumbled glass in a variety of colors. Photo by Ann Marie Kurtz © iStockphoto. |
| Photo of sea glass and rocks at Glass Beach, near Ft. Bragg in Northern California. Photo by Julie Vader © iStockphoto. |
| Sea glass in a variety of colors - green, amber, clear, cobalt. Photo by Susanne Friedrich © iStockphoto. |
| A beautiful collection of sea glass in frosted shades of beautiful cobalt blue and white. Photo by Eileen Hart © iStockphoto. |
Happy Tumbling!  |
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| A stack of beautiful blue and green "sea glass" that was naturally tumbled in the ocean by wave or current action. Notice how its surface has a "frosted glass" appearance and how the pieces have a curvature inherited from a glass container. The name "sea glass" is used for glass that has been naturally tumbled in the ocean. The name "beach glass" is used for glass that has been naturally tumbled along the shore of a lake or a river. These naturally tumbled glasses are desired by collectors and often used for jewelry or craft projects. They have inspired many people to use a rock tumbler to produce tumbled glass. Photo by Jodie Coston © iStockphoto. |
| An antique canning jar made of a beautiful shade of blue glass that holds and displays a sea glass treasure. This is one of our favorite photos. :-) Photo by Todd Bates © iStockphoto. |
| Sea glass found on the beaches of Half Moon Bay, California. Photo by David Wilkins © iStockphoto. |
| A cache of sea glass with the frosted ocean patina. Photo by Joe Potato Photo © iStockphoto. |
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