Sea glass, sometimes referred to as beach glass, is a happy byproduct of man-made pollution. It is formed when shards of glass that have been discarded into the ocean are continually rolled and tumbled about until their sharp edges are worn down and become smooth. This process can take years, and results in the beautiful little glowing sea gems you can collect along the shoreline!

'Fake' or artificial sea glass is made by mechanically tumbling shards of glass in a rotary tumbler, along with rock, sand, cement or other abrasive materials to grind it down to smooth pebbles. There are many ways to tell whether or not a piece of sea glass is genuine. In brief though, the key thing to look for in a piece of genuine sea glass is a 'frosted' appearance (although this can be deliberately hidden as per the maker's or buyer's preference), a pitted or textured surface with varied 'C-shaped' indentations, and other signs of uniqueness and quality such as thickness, shape, colour and bubbles (within older glass). Fake sea glass is often smooth, uniform in shape and is often made with colours not commonly found in genuine sea glass.

Always. I believe that the long and varied journey each little piece of glass has taken is all a part of its charm. I like to think of it as its history; each piece's exciting journey from shard to sea-stone is as unique as you or I.

There is some debate in the sea glass loving community about the rights and wrongs of altering the appearance of sea glass. The colour of a piece of sea glass can be intensified by rubbing a small amount of oil over it. This will remove the natural 'frost' of genuine sea glass, and make it shine as if still wet. Some people believe this spoils the sea glass, whilst others prefer a more glowing look to the matt 'frosted' one. It is down to personal preference. At Wild Soul, I believe that sea glass is beautiful both ways and the most important thing is to present the beauty of the sea glass at its best. This means that with some colours their best side is brought out with oil, and with others it is by leaving the natural frosting in place! I judge each and every piece on a case by case basis, but of course if you have a preference you can request this in a custom order.

General care:
Due to the delicate nature of sea glass, it can be marked easily if not handled with care. Always take your jewellery off when showering or sleeping, and try to get into the habit of jewellery being the last thing you put on before going out. That way, you can avoid things like bumps and scrapes whilst getting ready, or spraying perfume on or near your jewellery which can speed up tarnishing. 

Tarnish:
This is a natural discolouration process that happens to silver and other precious metals over time. This usually occurs as a result of exposure to air and humidity, and pollutants such as body oil, perfumes etc. I choose not to use any toxic coating or chemicals to prevent this, meaning that it will tarnish quicker than shop-bought jewellery (which tends to have artificial coatings on to maintain shine). Don't worry though, tarnishing can be easily remedied. I do not recommend using silver dips, creams, pastes or polishers because these can penetrate into the surface of the sea glass and spoil it. Instead, use a polishing cloth (be sure to only rub the silver, not the sea glass), or gently clean the silver using a soft bristle toothbrush and a small amount of washing up liquid diluted in water.

Colour and 'frost': 
If you have purchased a piece of Wild Soul jewellery in which the 'frosting' of the sea glass has been left in place, please be aware that natural oils in the skin will accumulate on the sea glass over time through wear and handling. This means the frosting will fade. To bring it back, either clean it gently with a soft bristled toothbrush and a small amount of washing up liquid diluted in water, or rub a small amount of surgical spirit (rubbing alcohol) on it with a clean cloth. Similarly, if you have purchased a piece of Wild Soul jewellery in which the sea glass has been 'oiled', again this glowing shine can fade over time. To bring it back, first clean it gently as directed above, then rub a small amount of baby oil over it with a clean cloth.

Sea glass varies in price based on the rarity of its colour. Whilst other factors do contribute to the quality of a piece such as size, shape and condition etc, it is its colour which largely determines its value. Whilst all sea glass is precious and beautiful, some colours of sea glass are much more commonly found than others. Some colours of glass are now very rarely, if at all, produced in manufacturing. This means that the supply of certain colours of sea glass is finite. As a general rule of thumb, the rarer a colour, the less abundant the supply - therefore the higher the price. For more information on sea glass rarity, please see this guide.