Eye Candy: Art Glass

By Kirsti Scott

New Jersey sea glass (Kristina Braga ).

While most sea glass that beachcombers find is from everyday items like bottles, sometimes we come across a candy-colored piece. There are some locations where the beaches are known for having a lot of multi-colored glass. This is because they were home to glass manufacturers, who took damaged or broken pieces leftover from the glassmaking process and discarded them into nearby waterways.

Murano glass (Friedrich Mülln)

Venice, Italy, became the leader for European glassmaking in the 15th and 16th centuries, and art glass studios still create beautiful multicolored pieces today on the neighboring island of Murano. The remnants of these factories can still be found in the murky waters of the surrounding lagoon, though fewer and fewer pieces are found each year.

Seaham sea glass (Maureen Wyer).

Glassmaking spread throughout Europe, including to Northeast England, where the glassmaking industry began in 680 AD and grew to almost 100 stained glass, bottle glass, industrial glass, and art glass manufacturing companies by the 19th century. High-quality sand, cheap coal, and a great shipping location made the area ideal for production by companies such as Hartley Wood, which produced multicolored art glass. Pieces of this glass can still be found on beaches in Seaham, England, today.

New Jersey was the birthplace of the American glass industry. In the early 18th century, German glassmaker Caspar Wistar founded United Glass Company, and other studios followed, putting New Jersey in center of the map for colonial glassmaking. Finds from this early industry can still be found on local beaches when the tides are right.

Spanish sea glass (Ky Davis )

Catalonia, Spain, the region where Barcelona is located, is known for its glassblowing traditions. On beaches surrounding the city, beachcombers can still find frosted remnants from the art glass studios that were located nearby.

Davenport sea glass (Sage Harmon).

Davenport, California, was home to the Lundberg Art Studio, founded in 1973 and well known for its exquisite multicolor glass designs made into paperweights, vases, lamps, and perfume bottles. Discarded glass made its way from the studio on a cliff to the beaches below, where beachcombers brave the treacherous waves whenever the tides toss colorful sea-worn pieces on the sands.

While the chances of finding a multicolored piece of beach glass is greater near an old art glass studio, multicolor pieces can be found on any beach that was used as a trash dump. Households would toss away pieces of the most beautiful glass vases, figurines, and more when they broke, so these sweet treasures can still be found even on your local beach.

We asked readers if they have ever found a piece of art glass on the beach, and they sent their photos of decorative, colorful, and patterned ornamental sea glass from vases, bowls, lamps, and figurines. Following are some of our favorites.

Life is better when you’re surrounded by candy and sprinkles.

Karen Kenyon, Jodie Greene, Melissa Arvilla

Jodie Greene, Kristina Braga, Jodie Greene

Ky Davis, Ann Scalley.

Because candy makes you happy.

Kim Pavelko, Melissa Arvilla, Karen Kenyon.

Kristina Braga, Jodie Greene, Stephen Calamia.

Feeling like a kid in a candy store.

Kristina Braga, Ky Davis.

Karen Kenyon, Helen – DriftwoodBeachCo, Toby Florman.

This article appeared in Beachcombing Magazine Volume 49, the July/August 2025 issue.