FAQ's About The Jewelry And Sea Glass
Do You Buy Or Sell Loose Sea Glass?
We have a large collection of sea glass that we collected ourselves. After twenty years in business I finally gave myself permission to acquire sea glass from friends and reputable collectors. This has given me the opportunity to work with different types of sea glass and to get to know sea glass collectors from all over the world. Out Of The Blue Seaglass Jewelry does offer some sea glass for sale on a limited basis.
How Do you Determine Color Rarity?
With the sea glass that we collected in Puerto Rico I go by what the sea has taught me. Puerto Rico's history and culture are reflected in the sea glass that washes up on the islands beaches. I have an intimate knowledge of Puerto Rico's sea glass and my interpretation of what is rare there is a little different than some of the widely held ideas.
With our sea glass that we collected elsewhere or acquired from collectors I refer to the book "Pure Sea Glass" by Richard Lamotte which has essentially become the sea glass bible. Not only is Richard Lamottes book beautiful but the contributions he and his wife make to the sea glass community are immeasurable. The publication of "Pure Sea Glass" brought a lot of people together and helped to shine the light on the value, importance and existence of genuine sea glass. Before then it was an uphill battle to market authentic sea glass jewlery in the states as the public was not as knowledgeable about sea glass as it is now.
Do You Make Your Own Findings?
For the most part yes. Findings are the items which hold jewelry together such as ear wires, links, chains and clasps etc. Components are items such as beads, charms and elements etc.
I make most of the findings myself with Sterling silver wire which helps to achieve a rustic, organic elegance. Ear wires are hand shaped and forged in studio. Each link in a chain is made with simple hand tools and pieced together one at a time. One exception is the Sterling silver dolphin clasp, which are purchased findings, which I often use for bracelets. I have used these clasps since the beginning and they work beautifully with sea glass and are like old friends to me.
What Types Of Beads Are Used With The Sea Glass?
When beads are used by Out Of the Blue Seaglass Jewelry they are either high quality Austrian crystal, freshwater pearls, old trade beads or Sterling silver beads.
Old Trade Beads - Sea glass has cultivated a love for old changed glass in me. I consider old trade beads to be like a cousin to sea glass. Many of these beads had a glassy luster when first made and are now satiny smooth and show signs of wear from years and years of being handled or lost in the earth. I mostly work with African trade beads and purchase them from one of the world's leading authorities on beads from the African trade.
Sterling Silver Beads - I love to incorporate Balinese Sterling silver beads into my work. Each one is a beautifully detailed work of art. We travel to Bali and purchase many of our silver beads directly from the silversmiths in the silver villages of Celuk and Singapadu. Doing business with the Balinese is a pleasure and their handcraft industry is very important to the well being of the Balinese. I also make coiled beads with silver wire using an ancient technique that originated on the silk route.
Where Do The Seashells In Your Photographs Come From?
Out Of The Blue Seaglass Jewelry operates with a deep love for the sea. Our seashells were collected by us from beaches all over the world and were found abandoned by the animal. Many of the seashells, sand dollars, starfish, seahorses and sea urchins sold commercially were harvested en masse live. Although these things are exquisitely beautiful this practice is extremely destructive to the marine environment.
Out Of The Blue Seaglass Jewelry believes in coral reef preservation and never uses corals of any kind to make jewelry with.
Unfortunately, there are types of red coral that are still imported legally into the USA that were harvested from live reefs in the Mediterranean. Coral reef systems are as important for mankind as the rainforest. Although red coral for jewerly making can be obtained legally from many jewelry supply companies in the US it was harvested from live reefs!
How Can You Tell The Difference Between Authentic Sea Glass & Artificial Sea Glass?
The tell tale sign is the frost - imitation sea glass does not have that hard earned frosty appearance. Real sea glass often has some half moon "C" shapes and pitting on the surface. There are variations in sea glass due to the PH balance of the water, the grit of the sand and the surf conditions. Much of the sea glass collected in Puerto Rico has a silkier texture. There is also an intangible quality that is missing in fake sea glass. Another factor that may help you in determining whether a seller is honest is their behaviour.
Those of us that work with genuine sea glass are passionate about sea glass and are very willing to patiently answer your questions. We are very eager to educate people about the differences between real sea glass and artificial sea glass. If someone will not or can not give you a crash course about genuine sea glass then you have a problem. You will never have to tease this information out of an honest seller - if anything we go overboard on the subject.
There is no objective outside party that can certify that someones sea glass is authentic. It is not feasible for the North American Sea Glass Association, for example, to certify every piece of sea glass on the market. So there is no such thing as officially certified sea glass. As a customer I would take comfort in a business's membership in the North American Sea Glass Association. However, there are many legitimate sea glass businesses that are not members of the NASGA so basic knowledge about the characteristics of genuine sea glass and the behaviour of the seller will help you to make an informed decision about who you purchase sea glass jewelry from.
