What Is Alaskan Sea Glass?
Colorful, uniquely shaped and full of history, Alaskan sea glass is most often found on the beaches of Nome but is present throughout the coastline of the state. Formed from at-sea shipwrecks and man's ancient littering of glass bottles and home goods, Alaskan sea glass is a popular collector's item worldwide with many uses in the jewelry trade. Since real Alaskan sea glass can only be determined by its location along the Alaskan shoreline, many collectors flock to this area to obtain a piece of Alaskan history.
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Sea Glass Definition
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According to the website "OdysseySeaGlass," sea glass is defined as a piece of glass that had been littered by man and smoothed over by the ocean's natural wave motions. In order to be considered sea glass, the piece of glass needs to have a frosted or etched surface, which occurs when elements in the sea water and sunlight tumble the glass.
Alaskan Sea Glass
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Alaskan sea glass is glass that is found on the shores of Alaska. Alaskan sea glass is often collected by jewelry-makers and sea glass hobbyists for its geographical history. Other areas of the world that have geographically-inspired sea glass are Bermuda, Washington, California, the Mediterranean sea shore, the Chesapeake Bay, Texas, Prince Edward Island and Puerto Rico.
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Nome, Alaska
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According to the website "OdysseySeaGlass," the best place to find Alaskan sea glass in the state of Alaska is Nome Alaska Beach in Nome. The rating for finding sea glass in this area is good, or six to 15 pieces per hour. Alaskan sea glass is popular on this beach because of the economic turmoil in the city of Nome. Nome, which had once been the largest city in Alaska, had many tent cities on the beach prior to the turn of the 20th century, which caused a lot of glass debris, and hence Alaskan sea glass.
Beachcombing in Alaska
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When searching for Alaskan sea glass, the website "Odyssey Sea Glass" recommends looking on beaches that had a highly populated shoreline at some point in history, bluffs or cliffs along the coast or a clear fetch (the nautical term for the distance wind can travel unobstructed) of 25 miles or more. Garbage dumps that are located near beaches are also a good place to find Alaskan sea glass, as well as isolated beaches.
Identifying Alaskan Sea Glass
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Sea glass is often left over from shipwrecks or discarded bottles, so the only way to identify a piece of sea glass as Alaskan is to physically find it on an Alaskan beach in its natural state. The Alaskan sea glass will often be composed of actual debris, such as bottlenecks, and may have a frosty, pitted, c-shaped, triangular shape. Colors vary, but the most rare (and valuable) Alaskan sea glass colors are black, orange, red, yellow, cobalt blue, purple and turquoise.
Value of Alaskan Sea Glass
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According to the website "SeaGlassAssociation," which is the official website of the North American Sea Glass Association, buying Alaskan sea glass can be tricky if the purchaser is not aware of how real Alaskan sea glass, compared to commercially-created glass, appears. A strong indicator of fraud is a rough surface or a large, chunky shape. With higher populations of Alaskan sea glass collectors emerging, the value of sea glass has risen. Prices for real Alaskan sea glass, in its original form or made into jewelry, depend on individual vendors. Some collectors offer certificates of authenticity to verify the worth of the sea glass.
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References
- Photo Credit sea glass image by Patrick Moyer from Fotolia.com
