Sea Glass Genuine Surf Tumbled Sterling Silver Pendant

This sterling silver pendant features one of the most unique pieces of genuine sea glass I have collected from Midland Beach on Staten Island. Generally, the pieces I find are small and flat, and have been tumbled around by the tide for 60+yrs before washing ashore. This one however is most likely 100+yrs, because of its thickness. Before the 1920s glass bottles were dense, and had this very distinct seafoam green tone. I made a custom prong setting with an open back so that the light will hit it from many angles. When you look closely you can see a few of the little “c”s displayed that guarantee this to be real sea glass. It measures approximately 1 ½” in length not including the bail, which is large enough to accommodate a larger chain if you want to swap out the 16” sterling chain I will send with the pendant. I posted lots of pictures so you can get an idea of the amazing size and shape of this beautiful sea gem. The two pics that show the sea glass as blue are not accurate for color, however they give you an idea of how magical sea glass is in the sun.

Sea Glass

Since moving to the US from Australia, I’ve been walking the beaches of the north eastern coast collecting surf tumbled sea glass and antique pottery shards. From the moment I picked up my first piece of sea glass I’ve been in love. They are stunningly pretty with their soft colors and frosted finish, but are also a part of history as it takes a minimum of 50yrs for the tides and surf to toss and tumble them into little gems. Of course, fake sea glass is being “cultivated” overseas now, and whilst the bright colors and uniform shapes are attractive to some, it is fake and I don’t use it. Its value is zero, much like a lab created diamond. About 90% of the sea glass in my jewelry has been collected by me personally over years. I do buy a small amount of genuine sea glass from collectors in places like Hawaii because my local surf does not produce the rounded gem shapes found in those locations. I will always let you know the geographical origin of the sea glass in items I create. Unlike “cultivated” glass, real sea glass is shaped organically by the surf and tides so they are uniquely uneven, and present a real challenge when creating their bezels. They also often display tiny “C” shapes on the surface of the frosting. I do not remove these as they are the signature of genuine sea glass, like the inclusions in an emerald. Where I collect, I find more white pieces than any other color. Brown is next, followed by Kelly Green. Very rare are the seafoam greens, and soft blues, with cobalt blue being the rarest color of all. Sadly, only about 10% of my finds are jewelry quality and the rest is chipped and used for craft. I hope you too come to fall in love with genuine sea glass.