Sea Glass

One of the ‘seeds’ is a fragment of sea glass. In 2019, the Hong Kong International Coastal Cleanup Campaign listed glass fragments as one of the top ten types of marine debris.They make up 29.8% of the total amount of debris with 18,400 pieces, alongside Styrofoam, plastic pieces, cigarette butts, plastic drink bottles, plastic lids, food packaging, supermarket plastic bags, construction materials, and other types of packaging. See: Green council, 十大海洋垃圾2019 玻璃碎片居首 When glass is exposed to salt water and the physical forces of the ocean’s waves for a certain amount of time, it is turned into sea glass. Sea glass can be found on beaches. Originally from glass items discarded into the water and broken into pieces by the pressure of pounding waves and rocky shores, sea glass fragments become smooth and frosted from being weathered down by the elements.See: USA Today, Where Does Beach Glass Come From? There are different degrees of frosting and smoothness in sea glass, and the transformation process of glass to sea glass can take seven years or more .See: By the sea, What is sea glass or beach glass

Made of limestone and soda ash and shaped by fire and water, sea glass is as much made by man as it is formed by nature. It is highly popular among jewelers who treat sea glass fragments like gemstones by mounting them into metal when creating pendants and necklaces.

Sea glass has a large fan base in Hong Kong and worldwide, where hunting and collecting it has become a hobby, and even a profession.The non-profit North American Sea Glass Association positively supports the sea glass community with festivals, educational opportunities and information on tis members which include sea glass jewelry makers. (North American Sea Glass Association, NASGA Meet the Member – Wendy Garver – Silverwhimsies Jewelry In Hong Kong, sea glass is avidly used by designers and jewelry artists alike.