Sea glass: a journey from trash to treasure
My journey making sea glass jewelry started with my obsession with collecting sea glass. We live near many beaches on Long Island, Ny and visit them frequently. My daughter has always loved going to the beach to collect sea glass. She says it calms her and grounds her. I started going with her and I got hooked! We roped my son in and now he is hooked a well! Sea glass hunting is now a family affair. I started looking for sea glass everywhere we go and started to grow my collection. In the winter of 2023 we went to the Caribbean island of Curacao and I was in heaven. There was beautiful, colorful, perfect sea glass available to collect at many of the beaches there. I brought home a bunch of sea glass and didn't know what to do with it! I bought myself a drill, took some youtube classes and taught myself how to make sea glass jewelry. I had some special pieces of sea glass that I was reluctant to drill a hole into, so shortly thereafter, I watched some more YouTube videos and taught myself how to silversmith using sterling silver.
I love sea glass, not only because it is beautiful, but because of the journey it represents. Sea glass starts off as somebody's trash that is unwanted and has been dumped in the ocean. Nature, in the form of waves and sand smooths it into a smooth and frosted treasure. I love the story that sea glass exhibits. It is nature taking something that was trash and transforming it over the course of 20-50 years into beautiful, coveted jewels. Sea glass is said to be a symbol of renewal, healing and transformation. I feel that when you wear a piece of jewelry made from sea glass, you are showing your belief in these things. Just as sea glass transforms and heals, so do people.
Every piece of sea glass has a story that started as some form of glass and the adventures it went through to transform into its current form. Since each piece of sea glass has a different story, no two pieces are alike, and every piece of sea glass jewelry is unique! I love learning new things so I continue to add to the techniques and designs that I use to make jewelry. I also love to take ideas and suggestions from my customers! If there is something you would like to see in my shop let me know! I am always happy to take my customers suggestions and create custom creations for them.
