How to Find Sea Glass in Maine

Sea glass is a rare collectible you can find from time to time while combing the beach. As pieces of glass are tossed about in the ocean, they are weathered and polished by sand, salt and water over time, eventually becoming beautiful pieces used to make jewelry and other collectibles. If you're going to be beach combing in Maine, try these tips to help you find sea glass.

Things You'll Need

• Bucket

Instructions

1. Research the best main beaches for finding sea glass. Old seaports and areas that used to receive heavy traffic are highly recommended because of the amount of people coming in and out of the area and disposing of glass bottles and other glass pieces. Islands, coves and areas of beach that get a lot of wave action are also highly recommended for finding rare pieces of sea glass.

2. Know what you are looking for before you set out. Sea glass comes in a variety of colors, sizes and shapes like red, blue, green and even purple. Browse at pictures and handle pieces of sea glass firsthand to get an idea of what you're looking for.

3. Determine the best time of year to search for sea glass in Maine. Because the summer will yield a high number of tourists, you will probably not find much sea glass during that time. Try searching in the early months of spring or even the late fall, before the weather fully turns.

4. Arrive at your chosen area of beach to begin combing just after high tide. Search in the sand from where the tide receded all the way down to the water's edge.

5. Comb the sand slowly and look for pieces that glint against the sunlight. If you see something reflecting sunlight, check it out. It could be that rare piece you've been looking for.

Tips & Warnings

• Expect to find random pieces of metal and pottery as well. Pick them up and have them examined. You never know, they might be worth something too.

References

• The Heart of New England
• High Beam
• eHow