Hunting Sea Glass in Aruba
Searching for sea glass at the beach is a wonderful experience. I enjoy collecting every piece of sea glass on Aruba’s beaches. Surrounded by nature’s sights, sounds, and smells I feel that is healthy for my soul and uplifting for my spirit.
The beaches of Aruba are not only quite, turquoise, and white sand but also rough and rocky on the North sides. That is a good condition where the sea glasses are formed.
Most family trip to the beach is on the shore where I can find sea glass, while my two sons and the dogs play I enjoy the beachcombing time. My husband also has become a good sea glass hunter 🙂
Every time I visit the beach the shores are different and I enjoy the feeling of “what the ocean will give to me?” I feel so grateful for Mother Nature all the time, especially when I have found beautiful colors, very old and perfectly rounded pieces of sea glass, which means the right quality for jewelry.
Sorting Sea Glass
After a day of hunting, I start to wash every piece of sea glass several times until keep off the salt and let dry in the sun. Some pieces can be cleaned with a little bit of baby oil to enhance the color.
I sort sea glass by color first, after that by size and finally by shape and quality. The craft quality sea glass is discarded and sometimes, thrown into the sea again.
Unfortunately, very few pieces can fit the quality for my jewelry that I categorize and put on the separate and labeled containers, which are:
-Sea glass for bracelets, -sea glass for the pendant, -sea glass to be set in sterling silver, -small sea glass that can be drilled for wish bracelets or stacked necklaces, and -sea glass for earrings that can take many hours because I have to match a pair on similar color and shapes.
Designing Sea Glass Jewelry
Living in this paradise is always an inspiration. Aruba is beautiful! and that’s why I want all my jewelry looks beautiful, elegant, and sophisticated. So after sorting the sea glass, I am able to decide what kind of design I will make. Some shapes suit certain ways of designs and techniques.
The process of design is my favorite because is such fun! One piece of jewelry or a collection starts sometimes at the moment that I find the piece of sea glass. But usually, I draw the idea and select very carefully the colors and shapes of the sea glass.
Since all the sea glass I use to make my designs is exactly at is was found on the shores, the goal is to decide the best outcome for each type of sea glass, the best way to highlight the beauty of sea glass.
Making Jewelry
The process of making sea glass jewelry, depending on the design can be as simple as drilled or wire wrapped or more complex as setting in sterling silver.
My focus on making sea glass jewelry is to present beautiful, clean, elegant, and delicate designs. Sometimes adding pearls, beads, or crystals to enhance the beauty of the sea glass allows me to play in a different way when I am making some designs.
Learning silversmithing opens the door of my mind and abilities in a way that I can not see limits! Oh, my friends, I really enjoy making jewelry.
Materials
Sterling silver & 14K Gold Filled
I use .950 and .925 recycled sterling silver to bezel set a piece of sea glass and I use .925 sterling silver components and chains. Also, 14K gold-filled. Gold-filled is composed of a solid layer of gold bonded with heat and pressure to a base metal such as brass. Literally, there is 100 times as much gold used in gold-filled pieces than in gold-plated ones. It is a MUCH higher-end product than gold-plated. It will not wear off or chip ever. And, it is gold at a fraction of the price of all solid gold. Get the look and quality without the cost!
Stainless Steel
Surgical hypoallergenic stainless steel is also used in chains or hook earrings, for woman who is sensitive or allergic to sterling silver.
Aluminum
This metal is less used, but I normally use textured aluminum wire to make some settings and to create some rings.
Styles of my Designs
- Sterling silver & 14K Gold Filled bezel setting
What is a bezel? Usually made of metal, the bezel is a ring around the sea glass that holds the sea glass in place.
This advanced-level jewelry-making technique is one of the most exciting making processes as it gives me complete freedom to experiment.
I use sterling silver .950 and .925 to bezel set a piece of sea glass also 14K gold-filled. This process involves cutting, filing, soldering, cleaning, and polishing.
- Special setting
I usually use this kind of setting on the nugget-shaped sea glass to preserve beauty without drilling.
Normally use a textured wire, gold-filled or sterling silver to set the sea glass securely, resulting in a clean and elegant style.
- Wire-wrapped sea glass
I started making sea glass jewelry using copper wire to wrap my sea glass, also aluminum, sterling silver, and gold-filled wire.
I love to create different designs using this technique combining pearls, crystals, and other embellishments.
- Drilled sea glass
I must say that this technique took me a long time to learn how to do it correctly. I made many tests and mistakes, using different tools and ways until I managed to do it the way it should be.
I use this technique when I want clean work just to show the beauty of the sea glass as is it, then just I drill a hole and put some hanger and chain on it.