| So you are looking to buy Sea Glass or related | | | | and find that you have in your midst, someone |
| product. Did you know that there is such a thing | | | | working with 'mermaid tears' drop by and ask |
| as artificial Sea Glass? Did you know that lots of | | | | some questions. Get up close and personal with |
| people are scrambling to find ways to make it | | | | the Glass. Most folks working with it are happy to |
| themselves even though authentic Sea Glass is by | | | | talk about their treasure. |
| its very definition made by the Sea? A decade | | | | Join online groups where folks gather to share |
| ago there were only a few folks working with this | | | | stores and pictures of authentic Sea Glass. There |
| little frosted gem, now there are thousands. How | | | | are a couple great ones on 'Ning' a social |
| do you know the difference between authentic | | | | networking site. By the thousands people join |
| and artificial?> | | | | these groups to talk about the virtues of beach |
| Increase your knowledge | | | | glass. |
| Well, as with most things you can almost always | | | | But I just bought a whole bag of Sea Glass at a |
| find a book or two on the subject and this is no | | | | Craft Store. You surely bought something but I |
| exception. There are several great books 'out | | | | can bet that it is not very likely that it is the real |
| there' that you will easily find with some searches | | | | deal. Do you really think someone is collecting |
| or at your favorite online or local bookstore as | | | | Glass on the beach, taking hours, weeks, months |
| well many may come up if you simply search | | | | and then selling it in big bags for $2. Not likely. This |
| online for 'Sea Glass Books'. | | | | is glass that has been broken, chemically treated |
| Know what you are looking at | | | | and put into a rock tumbler to smooth out the |
| First of all Sea Glass is not broken glass. Not even | | | | edges. But it will at no time approximate the |
| close. It is glass that has been rolling around along | | | | beauty of Sea Glass. In fact... go out and buy |
| the shoreline for years, decades, centuries and as | | | | some! That will be one sure way to see what the |
| a result has a surface that is quite unique. 'Frosted' | | | | artificial stuff looks like! |
| is a word you will see avid collectors use. You will | | | | Some things to be wary off: |
| also may see tiny crescent shaped dents and | | | | Giving it away. I have now and then come across |
| nicks in the glass. Fracture marks, while not | | | | folks selling both bulk 'sand glass' and related |
| always desirable are also good indicators. When | | | | products. And selling all colors at a very low price. |
| you find a piece of glass that is so frosted it | | | | Not to mention... they have every color in the |
| almost obscures the real color of the glass...it's | | | | rainbow and seem to have an unlimited supply! |
| time to celebrate! Good quality Sea Glass, the kind | | | | Assigning equal value to common and rare pieces |
| used in Jewelry has no glassy sides/edges left. All | | | | alike. |
| edges are rounded, soft. It doesn't look like | | | | Poor quality photography. Now you don't have to |
| broken glass at all. | | | | be a professional to photograph your product and |
| Find some to look at | | | | show that it is authentic. Just get up close and the |
| If you haven't found any yourself or do not live | | | | picture will speak for itself! Find a website where |
| near an area where it can be found, there are | | | | you can't see the surface of the glass?! |
| ways to get a peek at some of these little | | | | No information So you've found a website selling |
| treasures first hand. | | | | Sea Glass or products but there is no information |
| You can always take in a Festival! Here you will | | | | on the Glass itself. No stories about where it was |
| find products and bulk Sea Glass and lots of | | | | collected, no articles, no videos, no links to other |
| people who will tell you all about their passion for | | | | related Sea Glass events? No background, no |
| the shoreline gem. | | | | feeling or emotion to their site. Watch out. Almost |
| Search online for 'Sea Glass Festivals' and see | | | | all the folks I've met who work with 'beach glass' |
| what you find. | | | | are story fanatics! And share information freely. |
| Visit a local Jeweler. If you do an online search | | | | |