How Is Sea Glass Formed?

The Origins of Sea Glass

Sea glass is created by glass bottles and other items made of glass that are tossed into the sea. The unfortunate benefit of someone littering is that months or years later, a beautiful piece of sea glass is formed and sometimes it is washed up on the beach. Due to stricter policies and enforcement from wildlife officials in most states, sea glass has become more rare since littering is strictly prohibited.

The Formation of Sea Glass

As a bottle of glass item is tossed into the sea or a large body of water, the tumbling of the waves or current break the glass, then scrape and buff the surface of it. This continuous tumbling action of the sea gradually creates a piece of art to collect on the beach or shores of large lakes. The sharp edges of the piece of glass become rounded and soft to the touch, so there is no chance of you getting cut as you collect your pieces of frosted sea glass.

The Frosting of Sea Glass

You may notice the beach glass you pick up along the beach is frosted in appearance. This is from the "hydration" process that happens in the ocean. Soda and lime found in the glass slowly leaches out from the continuous contact with the water. This causes a frosty appearance.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Gelstuff.com