From ocean trash to coastal gems, sea glass is the new trend
Sea glass is used widely in jewelry and seaside home decor
Sea glass is the perfect example of turning trash into treasure.
The material is made from glass bottles that were tossed overboard ships hundreds of years ago. During its period in the ocean, the glass is tossed, tumbled, frosted and polished by the natural environment beneath.
Eventually, piece by piece, the sea glass makes its way back on land.
According to Crystal Richard, sea glass is really having a moment.
"There are more festivals dedicated to it than ever before," says Richard.
Sea glass is used widely in jewelry and seaside home decor.
Richard has collected sea glass since her childhood and now posts about it on her East Coast Mermaid blog, which is dedicated to all things New Brunswick.
She says the province's large number of shipping lanes makes it a great place to hunt for this unique treasure.
"There were rum runners that came through this area. There were shipwrecks out on the bay.
Some of the glass found here dates back to the 1700s," says Richard.
According to Richard, the rocky shorelines in the region are beneficial because they put the glass through a rock tumbler over a period of decades, if not centuries.
Richards says tides and storms actually aid in collecting sea glass, but there is one other area that helps.
"The Bay of Fundy is where you’ll find some amazing sea glass, because of its impressive tides and it being the highest tides in the world, that sea glass eventually finds its way back on shore," says Richard.
"Hurricanes are another great way to find sea glass," she adds.
A powerful hurricane will drum up the bottom of the ocean, unearthing sea glass that will soon wash ashore.
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For Richard, there are certain characteristics that make for the perfect piece of sea glass.
"It’s frosted, it’s tumbled, it doesn’t have any sharp edges and it looks old. You might be walking along the beach and find a piece of green glass that honestly looks like it just came off a beer bottle last weekend. That’s probably just litter or garbage. That's not true sea glass," says Richard.
In seaglasser’s lingo, it’s either cooked or uncooked.
For those who may be interested in getting their hands on this treasure, the Campobello Island sea glass festival runs for the entire month of September.
Photos by Nathan Coleman showing Crystal Richard holding various pieces of sea glass.
