Sea Glass Slideshow, Beachcombing in January, Works In Progress

I added a new Sea Glass Jewelry slide show to my blog. It can be found in the right hand column about halfway down the page (just under the banner for 1000Markets) I'm hoping to keep this slide show current and only include pictures of items that are still available in one of my shops. Of course, that's easy to say right now in January, but when it comes to the busier months, I'll try to do me best keeping it updated with new creations and removing any items that have gone to a new home.

Beachcombing in the new year has been very tough. The weather has not been kind to anyone who has planned a walk along the beach and the slower stroll needed to to examine shell beds for sea glass have been nothing short of brutal. With temperatures in the low teens and single digits in the early mornings over the next few days, I'll opt to sit in my warm house with a cup of coffee or tea and dream of walking along the beach on some Caribbean Island.

Hopefully, there will be a bit of a break in the weather over the next week or so... I'd love to get back out on the beach to see if the tides left anything behind for me. I'm also planning on checking out a new spot on LBI, that was recommended by a couple of hobby-type sea glass collectors. One of these weekends, I'll have to give a couple of these tips a try.

My new shipment of sterling silver should be arriving this weekend (so says the FedEx tracking device) and I have quite a few pieces of sea glass ready for bracelets, along with about a half dozen wire wrapped pieces that will become necklaces.

I'm still not sure what I'll be doing with the pieces of red sea glass I have. I hope to figure something out in time for the Valentine's Day selling season. I'll also have bracelet and probably earrings in both cobalt blue and the rarer cornflower blue. If the weather cooperates over the weekend, I may be able to take photos to share on this blog, and perhaps have new listings in my shops.

The bracelet shown above, is a beautiful deep green bracelet that can be found in my ArtFire shop. There is something about those deep green ocean gems that I really like. I'm not sure if it's the colors of the polished shell pieces that make the dark green standout even more, but it really is a nice little bracelet.

Any who...stay warm & check back in a few days for another update!

til next time...
R

Deep Aqua Sea Glass, Comments from Author Richard LaMotte

So tonight I'm sitting on Etsy, commenting on a few interesting treasuries and thanking the Etsy members that put two of my items into their new treasuries and I received an interesting convo. The convo referred to a comment I included in my item description for the item pictured above. The comment was...

"In the book "Pure Sea Glass", Richard LaMotte suggests that deep aqua pieces are found once in every 1,000 pieces...that ratio puts a deep aqua piece in the extremely rare category.

I've never come across a piece of aqua like this before... even at sea glass festivals! The marking suggest quite a bit of exposure or perhaps it is a shard from an antique glass art piece. This piece is quite rare, with lots of personality and a true one of a kind piece of handmade jewelry!"

Well, tonight I come to find out that the author of Pure Sea Glass, Richard LaMotte, just happens to be a registered member of Etsy! Mr LaMotte took a look at all the images I used in my listing and this is what he had to say...

"Robin,Thanks for the mention about my book in your description for that stunning blue pendant you recently posted. I took a closer look at your photos and think you really do have an extremely rare shard. While studying glass at the Sandwich Glass Museum years ago I saw a bold blue they called "Electric Blue." It looks a lot like it. If you look on page 175 of my book you will see a slightly lighter version shot in bright sunlight and it has a similar pattern. Yes, what you have is a piece of tableware and a real beauty. For $50 its a steal!

Best of luck - Richard LaMotte"

Now how cool is that! Richard LaMotte and his wife, Nancy (who happens to be an incredible jewelry artist herself) are both experts when it comes to sea glass and to have him comment and practically authenticate my pendant via Etsy convo system is just so awesome (now I really hope this piece doesn't sell...lol)

So now, I need to go back and edit my listing...removing my Deep Aqua color description and inserting "Electric Blue" in it's place.

I did take a look at page 175 in his book and sure enough, the markings on the piece seem to look exactly like those in the antique glass patterned or pressed glass piece shown on the page. Richard LaMotte mentioned in this chapter of his book, that these pieces were created in the 19th century, which makes the shard of sea glass on this pendant well over 100 years old!(and quite possibly near 150 yrs old)

So, not a bad little night... a couple of hearts, a couple of items (including my Electric Blue Sea Glass Pendant) placed in brand new treasuries and then an exciting convo from the author of what I like to call "the bible of sea glass"...not a bad little night at all!

'til next time...

R