Glowing Japanese Glass Float Necklace | Macrame Pendant Beach Ocean Seaglass Jewelry Pirate Nautical

We're obsessed with japanese floats, and I spend all my time beachcombing mostly in pursuit of these magical little things! There's just so much history behind them, and something so special about finding one washed up on the beach, forgotten and remarkable.

Each mini japanese bin-dama (round glass float) pendant is intricately hand wrapped & braided by yours truly! (usually while we're sailing underway, and out of starlink range haha)

One of my favorite things about these pendants, is that they actually GLOW in the dark!! After being exposed to sunlight or any light source, bring it indoors (or down through your companionway) into the shadows, and you'll see! (photos in the description if you don't believe me) It reminds me so much of the bioluminescence we've encountered while sailing; Sometimes the bio is just a dull glow around the prop of our dinghy, and other times, hundreds of brilliant green flecks scatter along the surface of the water and in the wake of our dinghy as we ride home from the dock and THAT is what these little pendants remind me of when they glow.

They're magical little things, and they represent so much of what I love... the vast beauty of the Ocean, sailing, beachcombing, exploring, fishing, bio-luminescence, navigating, the stars, (basically anything nautical, the list could go on ha)

Although these aren't real glass floats found on the beach, they are representative of them in the best way possible.

NECKLACE SPECS:
-Each pendant is about 0.6inch/1.2mm wide.
-There are five different colors to choose from: indigo blue, teal, green, clear, sunset
-Each pendant/float has little orbs inside of them that glow a gorgeous luminescent green in the dark, and each glow pattern is unique to its "float"
-Each necklace is approx. 18-19in./46-48cm in length (with the exception of the fully adjustable macrame finish, which is can be adjusted 4in./10cm to 26in./66cm)

There are different types of closures available:
1. STAINLESS STEEL clasp & hardware-I know what the real sailors want!! (hypoallergenic too)
2. Magnetic alloy clasp-For those that can't be bothered fingering clasps (very strong, but I wouldn't recommend doing any hardcore activities w/it on..or any jewelry for that matter)
3. Fully adjustable all-macrame finish-for the true hippies, ily

Once again, these are completely handmade, and each one is entirely unique, no two are identical, and with that said, though I will try my very best to make them all as uniform as possible, there may be very slight differences in netting thickness, glow pattern, length, twine, etc.. but that's what makes each ones special, amirite?

I hope you enjoy this little piece of my heart just as much as I did making it! Fair winds, love y'all.



A little history on Japanese glass floats:
Japanese glass floats, known as "ukiyo-glass" in Japanese, have a fascinating history rooted in maritime tradition. Originating in the early 20th century, these handcrafted glass spheres were used as buoyancy aids for fishing nets. Fishermen from Japan's coastal regions would occasionally lose floats to inclement weather into the Ocean, allowing ocean currents to carry them to distant shores. Sometimes, the floats become lost at sea for decades, before finally washing ashore.

Crafted by skilled glassblowers, the floats were typically made from recycled sake bottles, giving them a distinct greenish hue. Sometimes, other types of recycled glass would be used, resulting in dark cobalt blue, amber, clear, green and teal colored floats!

Over time, these glass floats gained a global reputation for their unique beauty and durability. As fishing practices evolved, plastic and other materials replaced these beautiful and unique hand made glass floats, rendering them obsolete.

Other countries aside from Japan have used glass floats in their fishing practices, and they are even said to have washed ashore in countries surrounding the Atlantic Ocean as well. A fellow sailor friend of ours found one ashore while beachcombing on Cat Island just a couple of years ago!