Summer is a fantastic opportunity to get a little romantic with what we wear. The fabrics we pick are lighter and often more vibrant in color. We also get the chance to drop our necklines because it’s not quite as cold for a couple of months if we’re lucky. I don’t know about you, but my usual go to jewelry often feels too heavy, and this causes me a real summer jewelry dilemma.
Now maybe you are like me and wonder what’s going to have a lighter touch and look good with rounded, open necklines. I love my long tiered ropes, pendant jewelry, and gemstone necklaces, but they don’t really flatter as much as they do when worn with a turtleneck or over a sweater. What you really want when you wear a lower neckline is a rounded short necklace that frames your face, in a material that doesn’t feel too hot or heavy against the skin as you suffer from the summer heat.
A few years ago, we discovered the wonders of sea glass and started to include it in our summer jewelry collections. Why? Because it feels so smooth and cool to the touch, which helps you to feel cool too. It also has a really romantic vibe to it as it reminds us of the sea, beaches, summer fun and relaxing times.
A Brief History of Sea Glass
I recall someone once asking me if sea glass wasn’t just pieces of broken glass and my answer was, “Yes, and then some”. Sea glass began as bottles and all kinds of glass that went into the sea – some tossed by sailors and fishermen, some caused by shipwrecks. Over hundreds of years, constant surf tumbles the glass chards and softens their sharp edges; the ebb and flow of the tide polishes them to their smoothness before tossing them towards the shoreline.
Sea glass is originally made by man but it has been refined by nature to become the smooth gems we find on the beach. Ironically, glass is made from sand, so we could say that sea glass is returning to its source.
Searching for Beach Glass
Have you ever strolled along a beach searching for sea glass? I have done it myself without much luck. Combing beaches for sea glass has been a long time hobby for many and is a business for some collectors. A serious collector is looking for purple, teal, blue, black and the rarest of sea glass shades – orange. A novice is happy to find brown, green or white. A sea glass expert will study maritime history to determine shipping routes popular in the 1800’s and even go to far corners of the earth to search a beach, base of a cliff or miles of shoreline for these precious slivers of history.
Finding polished sea glass is becoming increasingly difficult. There is less glass around because many objects that used to be made of glass are now made of plastic. Heightened environmental consciousness has increased recycling and reduced the amount of glass thrown overboard or buried in the sand.
A Modern Romance with Sea Glass
That is why we purchase simulated sea glass – to capture the essence of these sea glass treasures without incurring the scarcity cost. Our supplier manufactures faux sea glass in a variety of shapes and beautiful colors that we use to create unique summer jewelry designs.
Sumptuous Sea Glass Jewelry
There are still a few weeks left of summer and sometimes Indian summer stretches until October. Sea glass jewelry in romantic and nautical designs will keep you looking and feeling cool with style.
Mazu: A summer statement necklace whose alluring abalone centerpiece and glowing sea glass daggers reflect the mystery of the sea.
Maris: Showcases rich cobalt blue sea glass with sodalite gemstones and Vintage glass beads in an original expression of the classic blue and white look.
We design our summer jewelry to evoke the best of the season, reflecting the colors and sensations unique to this time of year. Wearing sea glass jewelry is a great way to reconnect to the magical moments of summer and to bring a bit of sunshine with you wherever you go.
Do you have a piece of jewelry that you wear as a summer momento?
Comments 61
I never actually thought about this at all Roz. But now that you mention it, I see that it is a problem. I think the necklaces you show here are so gorgeous, light and summer like. As always, you bring up such interesting topics.
Author
I recently read that what is familiar to the business owner is not so to the reader or customer. That had me think Julie about themes & ideas that might be stimulating to my subscribers or generate new thoughts about jewelry & are second nature to me. So glad I hit on a topic that had value for you.
wow, that is really cool! (no pun intended) I will share this with my wife.. she accessorizes!
I think the sea glass is very pretty. It can be worn with any outfit and makes a great accessory.
Christy Garrett
http://upliftingfamilies.com
Beautiful designs and very appropriate for summer. I love the hummingbird clasp and the sea glass is stunning. Thanks for the design tips, Roz.
Author
Thank you Carla for your compliments.
Those 2 Sea Glass necklaces are beautiful.. wish I was in a position to order one of them.. but am going to have to wait for my ship to come in. I love your tip on what to wear for jewelry in the summer. I’d really never thought about it but it is absolutely correct. Some jewelry is just too heavy for summer. Thanks for sharing.
Author
I hope your ship comes in too Pat, not so you can buy a necklace but because you have so much knowledge to guide others in health & wellness. I believe OUR ship will come in & we need to set our sails, keep the mast high & continue reaching out to make a difference.
Thanks for the encouraging words.. we may be late bloomers in this blogging world but I believe we both are doing a pretty good job..
Author
I agree & I believe the wisdom we have accrued through our life’s experiences will benefit us in the long run.
I don’t wear much jewelry, so when I do, I never know what to wear! I think I may have to check out some sea shell jewelry!
Author
Sometimes Sarah, you just want to have a few necklaces that has you look & feel good. You start getting compliments on your outfit & that’s always nice.
Living in Florida and traveling frequently in hot climates, this is almost always an issue, Roz. I agree that sea glass is a wonderful solution. I also happen to love Venetian glass, which has that same cooling effect. And, of course, the colors of blue you selected are the equivalent of taking a dip in the ocean. Those two pieces won’t be on your site for long!
Author
Love how you can relate & I might use your phrase “a dip in the ocean’ in a description. Thanks.
These necklaces are amazing, Roslyn! And by looking at them you’d think they are winterish, but what a great idea to see them as refreshing and making you feel cool (no pun intended 🙂 for the summer!
Author
Thanks Delia for your compliment & thought.
Great tips! In Florida it sure would be nice not having heavy jewelry that feels gross when you’re all sweaty. This sea glass stuff seems like EXACTLY the perfect thing to feel cool and light 🙂
Author
Yes Robin. I’ve been selling polished sea glass necklaces since I started my business exactly for that reason. Once you touch it, you can’t resist.
Wow… Roslyn, I love this post! You really well described what and why the need for this beautiful jewelry. I’m going to promote your article on my facebook! Way-to-go, girlfriend! 🙂
Author
Thank you Norma for your kind words & sharing my post.
What a practical suggestion! The sea glass necklaces look lovely. Where did you get the inspiration for these wonderful pieces?
Author
Lorii, its so easy to be inspired by the sea, sky, ocean, summer softness.
You are absolutely right, the sea glass necklaces are awesome and have a summer look, nice tip!
Thanks for appreciating summer sea glass jewelry Meire Weishaupt.
I love the light blue sea glass and it takes me back to my childhood in Panama City Beach. Summers spent with my grandmother in search of sea shells and sand dollars.
Christy Souhamneut, I think we all have fond memories of summer beach times. I still have quite a collection of rocks & seashells from a long time ago.
I’ve been in love with your sea-glass pieces since I first saw them, Roz. Great to know what they truly are! I think I need one of these 🙂
Thanks, Susan Mary Malone for your comment. We only showed 2 sea glass necklaces but have a few more on the site. You can search for them by putting in the word sea glass & if you are on our mailing list we are sending out a brief newsletter soon featuring our sea-glass jewelry.
I love these cool summery looks. My mother was an artist. We spent many hours hunting for broken glass for her to melt in her kiln on tile and ceramics, and at the beach, just appreciating every seashell and piece of sea glass we found. (These days I pick up garbage at the beach, but that’s another story.)
I love how you relate our jewelry blogs to your personal life, Reba Linker. It tells us more about you.
Rosylyn,
I love the jelewery and the way it looks so clear and summery. I love seaglass and remember as a young girl going to the beach picking it up and saving it. Now I take my son there and we enjoy this together. Your site is beautiful and it really looks and looks classy.
Lori English
Thanks, Lori English for your comment and compliment. It must be fun to do the beach hunt with your son.
I think Seaglass is so pretty. I didn’t realize that it was harder to find these days. Thanks for sharing the history.
Sabrina Quairoli, we started making beaded jewelry 8 years ago and I slowly explored all the different materials. My two favorites became hand blown glass and sea glass. I personally enjoy sharing the history and background. Glad you like it too.
Sea glass is so pretty and I agree, it is the perfect summer accessory. It was so interesting reading about its origins and I love the idea of those precious slivers of history returning to their source. The jewellery, as always, is beautiful.
Appreciate your reply Tamuria. I knew you love the history and sentimentality of sea glass.
Although I’ve visited many beaches in my travels, I don’t think I’ve ever come across sea glass…at least not any that I would pick up and want to keep. I’m curious if different continents have more sea glass than others and also if certain places are more likely to have blue or green vs. other colours. I love the look of it and having collected many sea shells in my life (many of which I still have), I’d love to find a treasure of sea glass and have that made into jewelry. Wishful thinking, I guess! Beautiful, light and airy, are the words that come to me to describe the feeling that sea glass evokes. Lovely necklaces and bracelet too.
Yes, Beverley Golden, serious sea glass collectors know which beaches have been thoroughly combed and ones that get few hunters due to their remote locations. There are some very good sea glass jewelry designers who have collected or purchased from collectors & usually wire wrap into pendants.
Honestly I wear less jewelry in the summer since it is so hot, I just want less on my body, however, sea glass jewelry looks and feels so light and summery, it would be the perfect stuff to add when going out on the town.
Appreciate your comment, Karen Grosz and I think we should all have at least 1 necklace we all love and go to regardless of the season.
I love how you show sea glass in a new way with such beauty and talent. I never thought much about cooling stones but I do get how everything has ‘energy’ and if it make us feel good and lift our own energy – that is a good thing. Feeling good and looking good – isn’t that what every woman wants?
Great point Teresa and I love your point about energy. And looking good is what they want.
Your introduction reminds me of an article I read about a famous beach in California called Glass Beach. It was the dump for Fort Bragg – and now is considered one of the most beautiful beaches in California. Harvesting sea glass is forbidden and you probably can find orange glass there too.
I love the sea glass look and it says summer. Beautiful jewelry!
Audrey, I read about that beach and saw pictures of it. Would love to see it one day.
I’m so grateful for the recycling efforts even if it does mean a depleted source of natural sea glass. Leaving a healthy environment for the next generations is such an important topic.
You make an excellent point Jennifer and we agree completely. So glad people stopped polluting our waters this way. Sadly some still toss garbage into the ocean, but not in the systematic ways of long ago.
This is gorgeous. One of my girlfriends in Va walks on any beach she can and ALWAYS makes a point to look for sea glass. When I was there last month, we did just that.. and it was awesome. Crazy how something so simple and mean – folks littering their trash (glass) can turn into something so beautiful.
Kristen Wilson, so glad you got to see & experience the beauty of beach glass. Sadly they buried lots of garbage not just glass.
Imagine being able to study maritime routes from previous centuries by studying sea glass! I’ve added to my trivia bank with this post, Roslyn. Definitely sea glass is meant for beach wear but also so unique!
Vatsala Shukla, serious collectors study maritime charts from hundreds of years ago to locate where ships went down. Then they look for beaches & cliffs in that location & comb for hidden treasure known as sea glass.
Love sea glass! Beautiful pieces and I love the colors 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing the history of sea glass…..my kids and I used to comb the beach looking for some…….so many different colors and just so cool to look at and save as a treasure 🙂
Joan Harrington, seems like you enjoy the same beach combing as my family . Thank for your comment & compliment.
Wow, I love these beautiful pieces, and especially “Mazu.” You have such a talent for creating wonderful masterpieces to suit every season. I also found the information on sea glass really interesting – I had no idea it came in so many colors!
Thanks Julia for your compliment and comment. Glad you appreciated the history.
A great article as always, I did not know this about the origin of sea glass…or rather I had not thought about it at all. And it seems like a good choice for summer jewelry.
Katarina Anderson, I bet there is sea glass in Italy along the coastline. It will show up, not in vineyards but in your travels.
I love sea glass! I collected a lot of it when I lived in Myrtle Beach with the idea of creating jewelry from it. So much for that; I’ve still got the glass but no jewelry! Mine isn’t as colorful as what you’ve shown here.
Author
Jackie Harder, most of us couldn’t escape collecting beach glass &/or seashells when living near or visiting beaches. If your pieces are not drilled what you can do is to watch a video & wire wrap into a pendant. Might be very relaxing for you. Just do a few for yourself & sisters. It could be a nice holiday present.
I must confess my ignorance regarding sea glass. I see how attractive it is as a summer accessory because of its lightness and opaque color. What a treat to have so many different types of stones to pick from.
Author
Joyce Hansen, I say this kindly, so glad to find an area you are not knowledgeable in. Yeah! Glad we could inform you. It is a treat & I love creating with sea glass, even if faux.
Thanks for using our tag line “sea glass is originally made by man but it has been refined by nature”
We like it too and think it is the perfect description of sea glass.
For more reading you can visit our page at https://bytheseajewelry.com/what-is-sea-glass-or-beach-glass/