FAQ
SEA GLASS VS. BEACH GLASS
You might’ve heard the term beach glass and wondered if it’s the same thing as sea glass. The short answer is no, the two are not the same. sea glass is found on saltwater beaches, whereas beach glass is on freshwater or seawater beaches. Sometimes, it can be found on a lake, such as the Great Lakes of the United States.
The main difference between sea glass and beach glass is the appearance. Because the water isn’t as rough (especially on a lake), beach glass won’t get as much tumbling and tossing. This may lead to glass with a less frosted appearance and some shiny spots still on it.
Common Beach Glass Colors
The most common colors of beach glass come from glass products that are still in use today; clear, brown and green.
Most clear beach glass comes from items such as soda bottles, glass food containers, liquor bottles, wine bottles, Mason and Ball canning jars as well as old milk bottles and medicine bottles. Clear beach glass looks frosty and white when dry and is often referred to as white beach glass. Roughly two out of three pieces of sea glass you find will be clear or white.
Brown beach glass may come mainly from beer, root beer and whiskey bottles. The older the glass the less common it is. Old Clorox and Lysol products came in large brown bottles. Today, many wine and American beer companies still use brown bottles to help protect the liquor inside the bottles from the sun. Something in the region of one in two pieces of sea glass will be brown.
Kelly green beach glass is the most common green found today and comes mainly from lemon-lime flavored sodas such as 7-UP, Sprite, Mountain Dew, wine and beer bottles such as Heineken. One in five pieces of beach glass will be green.