For years I thought they were depressed, lonely people: heads downcast, trudging slowly along water’s edge. I never intruded — a good thing, because they were not in a funk. They were searching for beach glass.
It’s not an easy task to find good beach glass anymore, let alone aged and tumbled red, pink, and orange glass, the ne plus ultra colors of the beach glass business. And it is a business, particularly on this Island.
C.B. Stark Jewelers in Vineyard Haven — and opening their Edgartown store soon — has been running a front-page ad in this paper, asking folks to bring in jewelry-grade beach glass pieces for sale or to have a custom piece of jewelry made. (The Edgartown store will now be found at 10 Main Street). In Oak Bluffs, Driftwood Jewelry on Circuit Avenue recently staged a grand opening raffle in which customers exchanged quality sea glass for a chance to win gift certificates.
Beach glass jewelry has been a mainstay at Cheryl Stark’s store for more than 40 years. For much of that time, Ms. Stark was able to find enough glass for use in her shop by beachcombing herself. But the Island’s popularity has brought several generations worth of beachcombers, dramatically thinning the supply of aged and tumbled beach glass in desirable colors.
A review of beach glass websites shows us that seaglass quality is rated on a system similar to diamonds and gemstones, based on surface finish or frosting, shape and color. Professionals like Sarah York, Vineyard Haven store manager at C.B. Stark, can spot winners immediately.
“Oh yes, no question about it. We can even tell whether the glass is from Northeast beaches or from the Caribbean, for example,” Ms. York said in a recent interview at C.B. Stark’s on Main Street, Vineyard Haven.
Glass tumbles differently in locales with different topography, she said. “Caribbean glass, for example, has a different finish from Island glass, because it tumbles in finer sand, without the rocks and pebbles we have here,” she said.
“Deep blue is the favored color for Island jewelry. It seems to represent the Island for visitors, particularly,” she said, noting that colors that are no longer used in making glass are becoming rarer and hence more valuable. “Beach glass jewelry is a big contributor to our business, particularly in summer,” Ms. York said.
Shape, color, and finish determine the value of a piece of glass, particularly for expert jeweler Jeff Regan and Island native Elysha Roberts, who make C.B. Stark beach glass jewelry. “We don’t cut or polish the glass. Authenticity is a key element in the appeal,” Ms. Roberts said, noting that the size and shape of the glass determines whether it will show best as a bracelet, pendant, or earrings.
Ms. York said there is great appeal for customers who find a beautiful piece of glass and have it made into a unique piece of jewelry. “Many people bring us glass and ask us to make a piece for them. We work with them to design and craft a piece,” she said. “And we’ve had a lot of interest from beachcombers willing to sell their finds. It’s the luck of the draw really, depending on quality and usability. We may pick only a few pieces, but sometimes, in fact just a few weeks ago, we got a wonderful collection and bought the whole thing. If I had to guess, I’d say we maybe buy 20 percent of the glass we are offered.”
The demand for C.B. Stark beach glass jewelry will likely spike when they reopen their Edgartown store.
Chris Bergeron, a 25-year veteran of jewelry retailing, is reprising his 2005 stint as the manager of the Edgartown location.
“We’ll be carrying the same core inventory in Edgartown as we feature in Vineyard Haven, including original charms and Island bracelet designs created by Cheryl and her partner Margery Meltzer almost 50 years ago. We’ll also feature a high-end line of men’s jewelry and gifts by William Henry, including amazing inlays of natural materials and fossils, pendants, pocketknives and leather bracelets,” he said.
And, of course, the crown jewels — made from beach glass.
Sea glass rarity chart
Here’s an edited version of how experts at eHow rate seaglass:Grading
- Sea glass that is graded Jewelry A is frosted consistently and has no chips in the frosting. All corners are rounded and not sharp. Jewelry B–grade sea glass is similar to Jewelry A, but may have some defects or chips. “Other” is the lowest grade of jewelry sea glass. Glass in this category is likely to have more than one of the defects present in Jewelry B sea glass.
Craft grades A and B, while generally frosted, aren’t uniform enough for jewelry. Craft grades are likely to have defects such as cracks, rough edges, uneven frosting, and irregular shapes.
Color
- The value of sea glass depends a lot on its color. Common colors, including brown, white, green, and blue, aren’t as valuable as rare colors. Sea glass that is red, pink, or orange is extremely rare, because its sources are no longer available. Red, pink, or orange commercial glass was originally made with gold as an additive, and is no longer made. Because of their scarcity, these colors are valuable.
Frost and thickness
- Frosting occurs as ocean salt and sediments polish sea glass. The ocean acts as a natural rock tumbler, and frosting is directly proportional to the amount of time a piece spends in the ocean. Frosting increases a piece’s value. The larger and thicker a piece of heavily frosted glass is, the more valuable it is.